Boundaries

After finding the little dude playing in his room, lights on, sound machine off, at 3am too many times, we thought it was time to get a crib tent.  I was certain that our son would freak out and this would traumatize him.  My husband thought it was cruel that we would “cage” our child.  But we had to try.  I couldn’t handle the all night parties any more!  Dear friends lent us their tent and we put it up with a big celebration, “Look Macky, you get to have a fort in your room!!”  He was thrilled and wanted to get in immediately.  He insisted that we zip it up and every night since, there has never been a tear or even a mention of his new sleeping quarters.  I’m totally amazed that the tent hasn’t phased him at all.  Boundaries are funny.  Like rule or guidelines, they stir up negative thoughts and make us think we are losing our freedom.  Yet it’s amazing how much true freedom comes within boundaries.  We are safe, we are protected, we are cared for, we are afforded the best opportunities with the best possible results when we operate within boundaries.  It goes against our independent, selfish, humanness to be told we cannot do something, or to be told that we can only do something at a certain age or context.  We want to do whatever we want, when we want!  Without boundaries there really isn’t freedom – there is chaos.  And we quickly find that we are in bondage to addictions, bad habits, emotions, our self, debt, and the list goes on.  But God loves us so much that He has given us boundaries in life so that we can live the best possible life on earth with abundant blessings.  Sometimes I wish God’s boundaries were more physical and obvious like the crib tent over me!  But He loves us so much that he gives us the freedom to choose His narrow path with boundaries, or the wide path that leads to destruction.  Are you living within the boundaries?  Are you finding freedom there?