First Baptist Church of Herndon

Boundaries

Linda Soller | Mar 06, 2023

For Lent our Drop-In Class began by discussing boundaries. It may seem like an odd topic, but it really makes total sense. There are Christians who think by simply being a person of faith you are guaranteed a life of plenty, a life that is problem free. This is very appealing, were it true, but it’s not. Indeed, from the beginning God expected Adam and Eve to care for the beautiful garden they called home. They had a great deal of freedom, but there were boundaries. When Eve and Adam crossed over the line, they learned the hard way that life comes with responsibilities and boundaries.

Have you ever watched Maine Cabin Masters? It’s a show about a group of family and friends whose work is updating, repairing, sometimes building cabins in the state of Maine. What I like so much about it are the clients. The owners of the cabins who just want to preserve family traditions of enjoying nature. Their budgets would not pay to update a bathroom in our area. In fact, having a bathroom inside their cabin is often on their wish list. They must work within the state and local boundaries, all of which have been set to protect the very environment the cabin owners wish to enjoy. They aren’t competing with their neighbors or hoping to make the cover of a magazine. These people are interested in clean, safe, basic homes.  From the outside it’s not always obvious that the work on the cabin has been completed. For the most part the cabins before and after are simple.

We usually think of giving “something” up for Lent. My friends gave up chocolate (not sweets, or candy, or desert) just chocolate. But I suggest that you may be giving something up for Lent when you acknowledge and honor a boundary that you previously ignored. Is there something you do which perhaps you should not? Do you interact with others in a way you know is not appropriate? Do you have reasonable goals for your life? It may even be about giving up what you want, to help another person, or simply trying to live within the boundaries God has set for us.

Be the love in the world  : )   Linda