“Every one of us has a fence line. A ‘nope, you can’t cross this line’ set of circumstances in our lives. Some of us get especially adept at climbing, hurdling, and drilling holes in what won’t budge to see if we can break free. . . . Most of us (passively, subtly) see our fence lines as captivity.”- Sara Hagerty
In Chapter 2 (The Gift of Limits”) of The Gift of Limitations, Sara Hagerty observes that fence lines appear shifty. Because those lines sometimes move in different seasons. Yet, fence lines always remain present.
Yet, Sara underscores, wonder comes with growth. Consequently, the author exhorts, when God hedges you, you grow to :
- accept, even like where God’s placed you.
- trust Him with the fence line.
- display curiosity, rather than staring at the hedge.
- inquire why God’s put you there.
Most significantly, to receive your limits as gifts, you must first notice your response to those limits. Also, you must first understand your history with your limits as well as how you’ve handled them.
However, Sara offers counsel about the potential trap of unexamined daydreaming. She defines daydreaming as unfettered thinking, not captured but loose. Thus, Sara continues:
“But when I examined a single day, it was full of daydreams, unthinking dreams that seemed harmless but, without thoughtfulness, opposed my mind to the place where my feet stood. It was a world of its own, but one that wasn’t real, so it also wasn’t’ one in which I invited God’s input or wisdom. Those daydreams aligned up with this world, doubting the fatherly hand of God.”
In conclusion, Sara states, it sees harmless enough to envision ways to optimize the tiny challenges in life. Except that those ideas occupy space in a finite mind. As a result, we see our fence as an obstacle to overcome. Rather than exploring God’s intended use. And frequent glances over the fence cause us to resent what the fence holds inside.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help us avoid seeing our fence lines as captivity? Please share.
Coming Monday: the May Short Meditation, “The sure foundation and cornerstone”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Christian race – press on”
