January 20, 2016

Don't Fence Me In - Joylene M. Bailey






Anyone who has spoken to me recently, or read the New Year post on my blog would think that I’m the kind of person who flies by the seat of my pants. Who hates goals and making lists.

Not true.

Anyone who has known me for years knows plainly and without a doubt, that I am a die-hard list-maker, scheduler, and goal-setter. I have even gone so far as to make a colour-coordinated schedule of every single household chore done over a whole year, right down to daily sweeping of the floor.

I like to label things and make charts and check things off.

That’s why it’s a big stretch for me to lay all of that aside. Not to even go there.
It’s kind of like Tracy’s “Making a List and Leaving It” – only without the list.
No lists.
No charts.
No pretty checkmarks in colour-coordinated columns.

But that is what God is asking me to do this year.
He is asking me to give up all the charts and lists, and be quiet.

He knows me so well; knows that if I had lists and goals to accomplish, that would be my focus - the busyness of getting it all done.

But no.
I am to be quiet in my spirit – to keep listening to His voice.
And I am to be quiet in my outer life – to give up the busyness.

Then, in my quietness, I need to show up.
Show up at my writing desk regularly to write what He wants me to write.
Show up in the opportunities He places in my path to Love God and Love People.
Luke 10:27 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself” is my verse for this year.



Over the years the Lord and I have had some great conversations in front of my bathroom mirror as I get ready for the day. The conversations have been about big things, little things, and everything in between.

It’s where I got angry with Him for not answering our plea for help in deciding what church to attend when our girls were little, and He answered so plainly and faithfully.





It’s where one day He said, “Maybe don’t wear any make-up today.”
“WHAT?? Not even mascara??”
That was a lesson in His love for me just the way He made me.

Last week I was feeling uncomfortable with no charts full of lists and goals to do. So I said, “Maybe I could just try to enter one writing contest a month …”
Immediately the words Don’t Fence Me In flashed upon my mind.
So it was confirmed.
No charts.
No lists.
No checkmarks.



Kind of scary for me.
Feels a little like walking on one of those swinging rope bridges hanging over a gorge. Anything could happen. I could lose my footing. A big wind could come up and swing that bridge so hard I’d barely be able to hang on. Or, it might be a nice scenic bouncy walk.



So, I won't fence Him in. It makes me nervous. It feels risky and dangerous. But it’s safely dangerous because I have learned to trust the One who is asking it of me.


16 comments:

  1. LOL! This SO what I needed to hear. I have been known to make colour coordinated lists, too, just so you know you aren't alone...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha. Oh yes, for us die-hard list makers it's SO hard not to get out those coloured pencils. Very nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks Tracy.

      Delete
  2. Nope, you're not alone - in the list-making or the guidance to just rest in God's plan, not mine, this year. "safely dangerous" - I like that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting that God is asking so many of us to depart from our "norm" and REST in His plan. But it really is a lesson in trust isn't it?

      Delete
  3. Oh Joy--I SO get this. Even though I am faithfully plodding along with my course work, that is ALL I have on my list. When Jesus gave me the words, "Come and See" for the year, there was nothing else. I even listened to a web podcast on the right way to write goals for the year. A great podcast but I haven't done anything with the notes I took. AND, I felt like I wasn't even supposed to. Yes, departing from the "norm" and resting in His plan. Definitely a lesson in trust--a safely dangerous place. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha -- I so hear you on listening to that podcast, the right way to write goals for the year. My former self would have been all over that. Resting and trusting really is a safely dangerous place. May we all thrive on this adventure!

      Delete
  4. Safely dangerous! I love it. May this year God guide you in how He made you in a way that is perfect in following His perfect plan for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And it is a perfect plan if I just trust enough to rest in it. Thanks Lynn.

      Delete
  5. As someone who is NOT a big list maker (not even grocery list a lot of times haha) and goal setting is a real challenge for me I read your post with great interest. I had to stop and read the color coded chore list section three or four times just trying to visualize it! I got lost as I could not lol. The 'maybe don't wear makeup today' part also stopped me short. What? Did you go out? It would be a challenge for me...sort of hoping he does not ask it of me LOL..."Don't fence me in," is what it is really all about it isn't it? We all require different 'shake ups' in our lives to learn to live more authentically and not be relying on our ourselves rather than God. I know it's scary as similar things are going on in my life this year but just in a different way. I am thankful for this group...and you Joylene...that we can encourage each other across that rope bridge :) Loved your post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gloria, I love the idea of all of us encouraging each other across that rope bridge. And thanks for your encouragement.

      Delete
  6. From a fellow list-maker, I admire you for taking such a big risk. I would be interested in knowing how it all turns out. Maybe you could make a list of everything you learned after it's all over, highlighted in different colours. I mean, ...not a list, I don't want to fence you in . . . You'll figure out something. Just keep us posted. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would be interested in knowing how it all turns out too! Haha. But I will definitely keep record somewhere - maybe not a list, maybe just in my head - of the adventure.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Hmmm... probably the best kind of list is a prayer list (have you seen the movie "War Room"?) Does that still count as a list?

      Delete
  7. Thanks to you, Jolyene, for initiating the topic of God not wanting you to fence him in. Thanks also to first responders, who playfully, but in good faith took up the topic and batted this ball across the whole length of the suspension bridge. By the myriad ways we individually operate in writing our thoughts about our lives and our faith down, I would say that God encourages our freedom in faith living. Jesus did not live within the faith fences of his day either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so true Sharon. I love that Jesus went outside the fences of His day. Sometimes I think we think that it's the fences that keep us safe, and then we neglect to put our trust in the safest arms of all.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to join in the conversation. Our writers appreciate receiving your feedback on posts you have found helpful or meaningful in some way.