Those two white boards!!

I know, WOW!! A 3 ft piece of wood. Impressive right? It lays at the front of my garage, just inside the opening. It's not a fancy board. It's cut up and has a few splinters and even has visible marks running up and down it. And yet, there is is in my garage, probably the most valuable thing in the garage in my opinion. Okay, the lock on the door would really be the most valuable/important thing in the garage, but this would be second!!

Beaten up, marked up and even small, it is a crucial piece and it's precise placement is hugely important. The fact that it is a solid piece is what makes it work. Without this small plank of wood, there would be serious problems in the Dickerson Garage!!

So, what does it do? As you can see in the photo (sorry not great quality-I took last night with my phone as God shared this with me), it rests beside the tires of the car. It marks the place of boundary. It holds a place a value. It is a guide. It helps show the way in. There is another board at the front of the garage holding another place of boundary, resting just on the other side of the front tires. Without these boards, as small and insignificant as they may seem, we would have some serious damage. These two boards are strategically placed in our garage to set the boundary for whoever is driving the vehicle as they maneuver it carefully into the garage. The side board is a guide in. It provides protection and help for all the many other belongings to be sure they are not crushed upon entering. The front board lets us know when we have reached the place we need to stop, keeping us from crashing through the wall just a few feet away. As the driver backs in, the focus is on the two boards and nothing else. Therefore, it is crucial the two seemingly insignificant boards remain in their pre-determined placement. Otherwise, things will go bad quickly!!

Last night as we were pulling in the Jeep, I almost panicked when I didn't feel the front board. And it looked like we were about to crush some important stuff!! CAREFUL!!!!! WAIT!!! Let me check the board....ahhh, okay, just one more 1" and we would have reached it. Oh how we need and count on those two boards.

Last night, the Lord showed me how crucial having boards in my life are, for all of us. Something that guides me in, shows me where to center myself, where to stop, how far I can go, where my focus needs to be, something solid that if I bump up against it, I will surely know I have gone off course. The Lord God is just that boundary-giver. He strategically places "boards" in our lives to be our guide. The Holy Spirit is our most important guide, " But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:26-27

Through the Holy Spirit, we are given other boards which may be found in our disciplines: how we follow and obey His commandments and rules, the discipline we have in our prayer life, study times, priorities, where and how we serve; and even through our relationships with family, friends and the world. There are "leaders" in your life, those who have gone before you and those who walk beside you today. God has not left us aimless. If we will just take our eyes off everything around us, focus on the solid boards which set our boundaries, we will find ourselves centered in to the place we need to be...a place we were created and purposed to be.

What boards surround you? Emotional boundaries? Physical boundaries? Spiritual boundaries? If you cannot think of any, or you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, you just might need to stop "driving" and find those boards before you crush something of value, including yourself!

God has a plan for you and has provided a way for you to accomplish it. Set your eyes on Him and find your place of true rest, protection and provision. Obedience brings blessings!! Trust Him and do not be anxious!! 

"So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them." 
Hebrews 13:6-9