Good Boundaries

Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you                            Jude 1:21

There where it is we do not need the wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.‘

Robert Frost

I recently had a discussion with a client about the value of good boundaries. I told my client that good boundaries, well set, well thought out and communicated in love are actually not confining, they are comforting. I explained to him about studies years ago with kids on a playground, who actually wanted a fence around the playground. They felt safer, knowing clearly the limits, and safety in the idea that there was an actual structure between them and the street.  

We thrive when there is clarity about how far we can extend, and how much we can let people into our own spaces. It is really a matter of perspective. When I know the boundaries, I feel safer. When boundaries are vague, unclear or permeable, there is uncertainty. We all know what happens when uncertainty reigns- anxiety can flourish.

So, my friends, let’s not consider our moral, physical and emotional boundaries to be confining. Think of them as giving us the freedom to know where we, and others, stand.

Prayer: Lord, you set us up with moral and physical boundaries for our good. Thank you for loving boundaries, Amen