Lines

I have been thinking a lot about lines.

Not about lines of people at the grocery store

or lines found painted in the streets.

The lines I have been thinking about are more metaphoric in nature. They are not obvious. You can't see them, but they're still there and through our choices we decide if we allow them to affect us or not.

Some lines are negative. There may be lines we use as barriers to our growth or future opportunities, viewing them as limits we may be afraid to cross.

Other lines can be very positive, such as goals to reach towards

or standards we will not cross.

It is about the lines-of-standards-that-are-so-important-to-us-that-we-will-not-cross-them that I have been pondering on lately.

There are many who would say I am wrong - that any line so solid as to be deemed un-crossable is not good. They view laying down such firm lines as divisive and uncaring. They may believe that to take such a hard stand is Un-Christlike and uncharitable. Many (wrongly) believe it's best to take a moderate stand, to sit on the line rather than making the decision to stand on either side of it. To do so, especially on some important issues, is to mock Him who has drawn the lines and who gave us all the right to choose in the first place.

To take a stand on one or the other side of the line takes courage.

Once you decide to get off the fence of moderation, you will undoubtedly offend many who find themselves on the opposite side of wherever you end up. But it doesn't mean that taking that stand was wrong. There are some issues so important they require us to choose where we stand.

It is also important to understand why we made our choice. Choosing to take a stand just because everyone else has, does not provide us with the needed strength to hold our ground in the face of opposition. We must find the convictions that grow strong roots.

No matter what side of the line we choose, it is imperative that we always respect man's god-given right to choose. We can try and persuade, but we must never force others to cross over to our side of the line. We must never bully or persecute anyone in anyway for choosing differently than we do.

And, while every human being deserves to be treated fairly and with respect, it is essential to understand that respecting another's choice does not translate into acceptance of that choice.

I challenge all of us to determine where we stand and then do so with courage and respect.

With Love,

The Mama B