Margins

A few days ago, I was listening to the radio, and the topic of margins came up. Granted, mostly when someone is discussing margins these days, it is usually in reference to finances, but the announcer briefly mentioned how we need to set margins in another areas of our ilves. As I have mentioned to some of you, God has been revealing words to me since the beginning of the year, and the New Year's sermon series at church...meaning that God puts a word in my mind, and it seems over the course of the following few days, I will see that word mentioned everywhere, and usually there is some type of point that He is trying to drive home. It has taken several months to see this pattern, after all I can be a little bullheaded, but now I try to pray about what He is trying to reveal to me...and ths particular word, margin, stuck in my mind for several days, and I am still trying to sort out what He means for me to learn...so far, what I am learning is that margins can be set in many ways in our lives. One obvious example of this is sin. If we are not careful and set boundaries and therefore margins for sin in our lives, what might seem like a small and harmless sin, can soon infect every part of our life that it touches...it will consume and overpower if left unchecked. The example that God brought to my mind to illustrate this took me back to the summer before last, when my best friend and I were busy canning. We share sweet times together canning and pickling everything from pickles and tomatoes, to my grandmomma's sweet pepper relish. We needed to add a little spice to the pepper relish, and despite my momma's warning, that like most things in life, "a little goes a long way", when it comes to hot peppers, decide to try things our way. We have this huge tote that we soak the veggies in the pickling spices overnite, and we, Dora, and I both looked with disbelief at this tiny little hot pepper...there was no way that teeny little thing was going to be enough to spice up that much relish. You know where this story is headed,....after we altered the recipe to what we thought was more appropiate "margins", or measurements, Dora decided to taste the recipe. The look on her face alarmed me, and I asked, "what's wrong", to which she quickly....much too quickly....replied "nothing", but then began adding vinegar and sugar to the tote.....after the disaster was averted, we laughed, but both agreed to follow the recipe more closely and stick to the margins, or measurements that was given. But then, God also revealed to me-(thru the sweet time spent with a friend)-that I also set margins on Him, on His ability, that I judge his merit based on my own, and in an effort to keep Him from failing, set the same margins I set on myself, therefore limiting Him. Crazy, right? God really convicted me that even though, I may pray everyday on the way to school with my boys, to help us remember that we might be the only glimpse of Him, someone might see, and to each day put someone in front of us, that needs to see and know Him, or soemone that He has a message for, but then when God answers that prayer and sends those people my way...the scenerio may or may not be what I had in mind, or the way I had it planned, and either because of fear or insecurity on my part, or far to often, I am ashamed to admit, because it isn't the person I would have chosen, I set margins....I set boundaries....I set limitations. I ask each of you, my Christian family to hold me accountable in that. Those of you who know me well, know that God has put me into a clear cut, no denying, God led destiny right now. He has definate people that He is leading me to cross paths with...people that are hurting...people that need Him, and far to often don't even realize they need Him. I am not perfect, I make mistakes with each breath I take, and it overwhelms to me to the core of my being of why....why He chose me to walk this path....and I have to make myself not get caught up into the how, and the why, and the when..I know that I cannot have the ability to walk this out. But as a speaker at the conference I attended tonight, said...something very powerful to me...that I hope to take to heart and remember.....my job is obediance...His job is results....it struck me that since day one that He has called me to this, that that is what He has spoken to me....be obedient,...leave the rest up to Me.....so that is the lesson I am trying to walk out this day...no margins....just obedience......and at the end of this journey...whether it is 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, or 60 years....He will be there, and for this day, that is all I need to know.