...outside of the lines

It’s an intriguiging thought to me – colouring between the lines, building a sandcastle with a bucket and following school rules vs. freeform.

What is it about rules that are more sensible? Is it because more people are convinced to follow them?  And if so, why?

One of my earliest memories at school was a scribble challenge with my best friend. We both had a school book to read and we dared each other to desecrate the other book with a pencil. Why? Because we shouldn’t, because the following actions were unknown, new and fresh.

My best friend was a boy …not sure what that says…if anything.

So what do lines in life say to you?

Are you the type who waits behind the red traffic light line…or who creeps forward as the light turns to amber? Or at school sports day, would you be the runner edging to get away at the starting gun or perhaps looking over at your classmates desk to cheat at the weekly spelling test?

So what is in or outside of the lines for you?

How does it feel when you are told to colour in the lines, do you like the instructions and control? If you accomplish the rules do you feel a sense of pride? Or do the lines make you feel constricted and restrained?

How does life feel for you?

Biblically we are set quite firm guidelines, no matter how much we cross reference, the basics remain unchanged. So does God give us room to colour outside of the lines?

We are all given the opportunity to repent – so the answer is Yes. What about if we know the lines and yet we still stray? Well, we have the opportunity to truly repent until our final breath, except we don’t know when that will be. But what if our stray into unknown ‘territory’ is God’s plan to get us back on track? How do we truly know or discern God’s will?

Peace is the answer.

We each need to seek and hear God within the lines and patterns we create in our lives. Often these boundaries can be created out of a sense of duty or normality. Following the pattern and lines of the lives that go before us or the friends that create their lives around us.

The clock ticks…

The patterns persist…

Your lines, God’s lines are unique…follow them and be brave enough to step out of the black and white.

They may take a lifetime to understand but if you listen and follow, they will make you truly happy.