Staying in the Fence

Today the kiddos and I went for a walk around our new block. Despite the freezing weather, I bundled everyone up to get a dose of some fresh air and sunshine. We saw horses, an old general store turned pizza shop, an antiquated little church, the elementary school Baileigh will be going to next year, a big frozen lake, and an adorable dog in a sweater. We had deep talks about kindergarten expectations, educational lessons on hibernation and migration, and inquiries about shock collars and electric fences. She noticed that the cute, clothed dog we saw only came so far. She could tell he wanted to come see us, but he didn't. She asked why and I told her that his collar was like the silver string around the horses fence that can buzz if they go too far; it keeps them safe inside. She said,



"Oh I get it, it's just because their owner doesn't want them to get lost." 

What a beautiful image of God my daughter gave me in that moment. I thought about the fences and how they are just like the protective guidelines our Father gives us. Not to hurt us, or because He doesn't want us to have any fun, but simply because our Owner doesn't want us to get lost. He knows if we cross the line that He's established for us, we'll end up hurting ourselves and wandering farther and farther away from Him.

I had in my mind a story from Baileigh's children's Bible that Doug had read to her last night and our walk gave me the metaphor I needed to keep it on my mind and store it in my heart. It says "Now some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best." Just like the fence where the owner has the animals best interest in mind and obviously hopes to keep them close by, God uses His "rules" as a protective fence showing us how life works best, and He would know, considering He created it. It's all about His best for us and what He originally intended, before we ran off like a defiant pet. The story reminds us though that the main character of the Bible isn't the defiant pet, it's the Owner. "But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what He has done...No, the Bible isn't a book of rules...the Bible is most of all a Story...There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves His children and comes to rescue them.*"

Just like the owner that loves their animal, God set up a fence. We broke right through it and ran off, not realizing how much it would hurt. But like any good owner would do, God came running after us, not stopping until He found us; He went to every length possible to rescue us. Our Owner doesn't want us to be lost, so why won't we just stay, obey, and trust Him. God used a 4-year-old (again), a shock collar, and a children's book to speak into my heart today. What about you..



*The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones