Thursday, March 30, 2017

Barriers

Day 26 Doxology: What is it about barriers?  We erect them everywhere in our life.  Where are your's?  I do know that, thankfully, they are not forever.  Either they come crashing down because they are poorly placed, or they are eliminated with the help of others.  Hopefully, as we seek guidance, maturity, strength, (or you fill in the blank) we are relieved from the barriers that we think protect us.

At the limits of my very back yard, Shannon and I decided barriers would be appropriate.  I dug the holes, I coaxed others to dig holes, I fertilized, and I watered for the new Leyland Cyprus that we wanted to use to obstruct the view from our neighbors.  Careful attention was made in their placement and need.  Barriers they would be!

As it turns out, it wouldn't last.  What once obscured the view of the neighbors is now inevitably going to be removed because of...its death.  Maybe it wasn't meant to be?  Oh sure, we rationalized its need.  I think we mentioned that it would give them (our neighbors) more privacy for their pool.  He works in his backyard on his hunting stuff so it would offer him more freedom to work later at night since he is retired.  It just seemed appropriate.  In truth, they are very good neighbors.  We talk, but not enough.  Maybe the tree's passing is needed?  Maybe I'll replace it with a gate?

What if instead of more barriers in our life we left room for more gates.  Gates are used for entering and exiting, then neither neighbor would be confined.  For the barriers that we erect in our own life...we too would never be confined.  We could heal, we could grow, we could move beyond the pains that caused us to add the barrier for protection in the first place.  That's right...the main reason we implement barriers is for protection?  I think that the greatest question would be...if we created a barrier for temporary protect; wouldn't a gate be better?  We might want to not stay in that world that we want so much to evade.

I think it was Robert Frost that said, "Good fences make good neighbors" However, how can we become good neighbors if we are divided by a fence?  I think God thinks differently.  I think God believes the world could be better, and more could be accomplished with more gates.   Hmmm, food for thought...I think Shannon will want one more Leyland Cyprus.


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