How many boxes do we tend to put people in? You know what I’m talking about…….
They dress this way therefore they are……..
They talk this way, they must be………
They are homeless or over weight or have mud on their jeans. Therefore………
We all do it. How many boxes do you have for God? We all do that also. God is this way and that way and all the things we can come up with that fits our own theology. This scripture says this and this one says that and it’s as plain and black and white as can be…….. I had God in all kinds of boxes. Boxes that I made and boxes that others made for me and stuffed me in them with their God.
He held me and He talked to me and told me who I was when I was created. He told me when I was ready to listen. Slowly I took Him out of the boxes and crushed them and tossed them to the curb. I took myself out of those boxes even slower and crushed them and threw them to the curb.
Everyday is an adventure and a new day. Everyday those boxes try to make their way back into my life…… pretty ones that tempt me into using them. NO! No More Boxes!
Today, after we picked up our grand girls, we stopped by a park that had a butterfly garden. Or so I thought. It was a conservation area – a small prairie. we walked around the garden and read the names of various plants and then we saw a trail in the tall prairie grass. No stopping me…….
Hubby, myself and a four year old and an almost two year old (both girls in dresses) started walking on the trail. Long prairie grass slapped us in the face, in our mouths, on our legs. Bees were buzzing and grasshoppers hopping. I was in my element. Two in our group were not. One complained and got stuck by a tiny thorn. One kept saying we were lost. But two of us were smiling and looking and enjoying ourselves to the max.
Can you guess which two had the most fun? Ready? I was one and the almost two year old was the other.
At the end of our walk, back in the garden, we saw a monarch butterfly. They girls were fascinated by it. I leaned over and put out my hand and he walked right onto it. That blew their minds. The littlest one wanted to hold it so bad but I new to put him back to safety. Next year.
My husband and I were discussing this walk on the way home. We believe that God is right there involved in our conversations – no boxes here – my husband wanted to be prepared for the walk. I can get that in some ways. But I talked about being spontaneous or flexible. We should be spontaneous in our walk with God. We think He is spontaneous but He sees the whole picture from beginning to end. He has a birds eye view, so to speak. We just need to trust Him. He knew we weren’t lost and He knew we weren’t going to get attacked by jungle thorns or whatever.
Spontaneity and flexibility must come out of our boxes. If we want to trust God with our lives and have that fantastic relationship with Him with no holds barred then that is one box we need to empty and crush and toss to the curb for pick up.
I challenge you to look at the boxes you have made for yourself and God and others. It’s a constant journey. But can be fulfilled and awesome —— if we allow ;)
I foolishly left my camera home but here is an image of prairie flowers:
Enjoy!
cate b
