By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Skyline Drive offers no railing in its climb up the hogbacks just west of Cañon City, Colorado. The narrow road lives up to its name, allowing motorists and hikers to feel as if they are scaling the sky.
Some of us don’t like that feeling.
I am one who needs boundaries, and I’m grateful for those I see around school playgrounds and along bridges and roadways.
Why?
The obvious answer is safety.
But sometimes there is more to it than protection.
Borders are often aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Consider flower gardens, farmland, and lawns. Without boundaries, overgrowth and chaos would distract from their beauty and productivity.
Other limitations in our daily lives are meant to help us. Health can be destroyed by over-eating and over-drinking. Ignoring yellow and white lines on streets and highways can result in vehicle accidents and even death.
Without limits, much of our life would be in floppy chaos.
The Bible has a lot to say about physical boundaries, but it also speaks to our emotional borders, limits that help protect our energy, and concentration.
In our busy lives, we often overlook emotional boundaries, especially when we have trouble saying “no” to demands on our time and resources.
In Matthew 25:1-13, we find the story of ten virgins, or bridesmaids in today’s vernacular. This parable is often used to stress the importance of being prepared, but I believe it also addresses personal boundaries.
Jesus tells His listeners that five of the ten young women were foolish and five were wise. When the five unprepared women asked the other five to share their lamp oil for the night, those other five said no.
At first, their answer seems selfish and “unchristian.” However, good stewardship calls for refusal to recklessly give away what one has been charged with. This includes time, resources, and emotional energy.
A visual example could be the bound edges of dishcloths and bath towels. Do we like it when the hems unravel and the fabric begins to fray?
How often does our life feel like that—frayed around the edges? Is it because we have no boundaries or limits?
Psalm 139:5 speaks of God’s care when it says, “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.”
Often, we fight against boundaries and press past them—eating too much, drinking too much, not following God’s plan for relationships.
Boundaries provide not only beauty, protection, and a sense of order, but when heeded, they lead us away from regret, overextension, and stress.
Skyline Drive may be an exciting excursion, but when it comes to everyday life and challenges, I am one who needs boundaries. Thank God for the buffer He provides.
For further study on boundaries mentioned in the Bible, see the following passages:
Proverbs 8:29 The sea has boundaries put in place by the Creator. Wisdom says, “I was there when He set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when He marked off the earth’s foundations.”
Psalm 16:6 Property lines protect ownership. “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
Proverbs 15:25 The Lord recognizes the importance of boundaries. “The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.”
“Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
Jeremiah 5:22
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“We’ve got a runaway stagecoach and we need you to chase it down, jump from your horse, and take control of the team.” Thorson looked at Grace. “Dressed like Molly.”
Grace stood in her stirrups for a better view of the incline ahead that narrowed into a razor’s edge, dropping off on both sides about a hundred feet.
Was Thorson out of his mind?
No wonder Molly wanted to keep both feet in the stirrups.
“I can do it, but not here.”
The director stammered into an irritated holler. “Why not?”
Grace swept her arm out over the scenic drop below them. “You are severely short on land.”
He swore under his breath.
A couple of cowboys grinned, but silently.
“I’ll chase the stagecoach to the top, then chase it down the other side, but I won’t risk the life of my horse on this narrow sky-track. I’ll do the stunt on flat ground and you can splice it in.”
Since Cody had taken an interest in filming his Wild West Show the previous year, Grace had learned about such scenes. It was entirely possible.
She also knew that no one else would do the stunt, so she wasn’t surprised when Thorson swept his hat off and mopped his forehead with his sleeve. “All right. We’ll shoot the chase now and tomorrow film the transfer out on the road to the Hutton ranch.” ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
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