Personal Boundaries 101

Friday, September 21, 2012 (9:29 a.m.)

Beloved and Blessed, Awesome Father God,

Thank You. I'm getting to learn again. Boundaries. Healthy relationships. Finishing business. Things I know of, but don't do well.

Father God, You know how best to teach me. Make me a quick and eager learner. So many things I long to master. Yet none of them enough to really exert myself. Balance. I don't know how to balance desire with follow through. I either storm on ahead with excitement and burnout much too quickly. Or I sit and wait for the proverbial spirit to move me. Trouble is, I KNOW there's a Spirit that moves us. I just really don't know It well enough to heed the call.

I look to Your Word.

(11:44 a.m.)

Two hours later and I have to admit, I LOVE Your sense of humor! The Life Recovery Bible is open to the story of Jacob setting up a monument (Genesis 31:45) and his men following his directions and making a heap of gathered stones(46a). “Jacob and Laban ate together beside the pile of rocks. They named it 'The Witness Pile'” (46b-47a) in each own's language. This after Jacob had taken his family to return to his own relatives (vs. 17-20) and Laban had chased after them (23).

Father, as I read more of this story I keep shaking my head. It seems like something straight out of “Dysfunctional Families 101”! I am shocked. And also encouraged. We have The Book! Your Book that tells us how all this plays out. How can I do anything but hold onto hope in You!

A comment for verses 14-15 says, “At this point Jacob's family needed to move on if they were to become the family God intended them to be.” The comment above it (for verse three) begins, “Moving can be a time of major crisis...God is always there to help us during our crisis moments. During these times we need to learn to stop and listen to what He has to say.”

Most Blessed God and Father, I long to hear You. I believe You to be telling me of the importance of letting go of so many things I have clung tightly to in the past.

Reading more about “The Witness Pile” I see “it was also called 'The Watchtower'” (49a). They set it up as a witness of their vows not to cross a certain line and attack one another (vs. 51-52). A devotional on Personal Boundaries stresses the importance of “clearly defining our commitments to others” agreeing on “certain limitations in order to maintain peace”. Key here is “Once boundaries have been established, honesty is needed to maintain them.”

Father, this all seems like such a 'no-brainer'! Then why am I still nodding my head in agreement! How dishonest have I been, not only in my relationships with others but with myself as well?

“Restoring trust in our relationships is part of recovery. To do this we should define our expectations and cautiously enter into commitments” Wow! Talk about “Personal Boundaries 101”!

Father, again, I am looking to You. Asking You to do in and through and with and for me all that I am unable to do myself. Help me grow. Mature. Blossom. Propagate Your Truth. Your love. Forgiveness. Hope.

I love You Father. And I thank You so very much. Help me. Amen.

(564 words ~ 12:55 p.m.)