Bugs

 

That little light brownish/gray object on the right side of the screen (double entendre) is a bug. He looks like a dwarfed armadillo. I don’t know if he’s friend or foe, harmful or innocuous. Two things I do know. I’m not a fan and he’s on the other side of my screened-in
porch.

That gives me great peace.

I love my porch. I can grill in the rain and I can enjoy early mornings and late evenings listening to nature’s songs. These songs often lull me into deep naps on Sunday afternoons. The siestas are possible because my mini armadillo friend and all of his insectuous cousins are on the other side of the screen.

I am one with nature as long as it can’t crawl on me.

Boundaries are a good thing.

Fences give our children freedom to play.

I hear that budgets are a great thing.

Diet plans are a boundary for weight loss.

We need boundaries in relationships, too. We need discernment as to whom to let in and how far.

Some people need to remain banging on the far city gates of our lives and never allowed into our jurisdiction. Others can come inside the city limits for commerce and light recreation, but never inside our homes. Our intimate friends may have a key to our back doors and the pass code to our security systems.

Jesus had boundaries. He really did.

He called forth 12 disciples to draw close to Him, teach and ultimately tax them with the privilege of carrying the Good News to the world. Only 12.

Out of the 12, He only asked 3 to come pray with Him on the night before the Cross. Only 3.

Out of the 3, only 1 is referred to as the one whom Jesus loved. Only 1. Probably the only one allowed to use Jesus’ Big Green Egg.

These emotional boundaries keep us safe. They preserve our health so that we can be the best hosts to the people we let in.

And so we are not bugged by the others.