Anna struggled for a bit and then realized that she was sitting on a "gold mine" of wonderful toys to play with. So she happily sat and played.....in the box.....for a long time. When she finally decided to get out, it only took her a couple of tries to figure out how to get free of that box!
After I had just snapped these pictures, I realized that there is a message in this...a message that I have been hearing for some time. I need to get out of my box! Isn't this a message that oh so many of us are hearing these days? You know, it is so interesting how easy it is to get stuck in a rut. Happy in that place, even when things are not all that good, you still are comfortable there? Sometimes, like Anna, there are many very good things in our box. Things that make us happy. But that box can be very confining. Not much room to move around. A place where you know you are not meeting your full potential. I realized that I need to take a cue from Anna. She left the box, but she also brought those favorite "little people" with her. She was able to move out of that tight space, and really enjoy those toys. She had many many fun things to use with those little people AFTER she got out of the box. There were castles, swings, houses and even an amusement park! And after she was free of the confines of that box, I saw her standing and cruising around the toy shelf. I actually saw her take one very tentative step today without holding on to anything! For sure, Anna has an amazing world opening up to her, when she masters walking.
On the way home I was thinking about this. I do feel like I have been in a box for a long time. For awhile it felt very comfortable just doing the same things over and over. Not really going anywhere. There were some very good things about my life, but I knew that there was so much more that I was missing. Making the decision to leave that box is really the hardest thing. Once you make the choice to leave, the getting out is easy. But then it is knowing where to go next that looms large for you. I am happy to say that I did get out of my box. However, I know that I have been sort of sitting on the ground, pretty close to that box, and I have not really moved very far from it. Certainly in the last few months, grief has kept me from taking steps into new things. But spring is here and it feels like time to move on out. So I am going to keep listening to Jesus each day, taking those steps when the path is clear. I will be keeping my eyes focused beyond my present place. Looking ahead and remembering to see from Jesus' perspective. I blogged about the power of the presence of Jesus, yet I didn't really do anything with that power. It's time for me to put some action to all of these words. I have promised truth on this blog, so watch for a truthful reveal in just how successful I am on this new path, moving out and away from my box.
Jesus, thank you for encouragement to try new things and also your grace and courage to move into those new places. Help us all to be like Anna....seeing those happy things in our boxes and also working to get out of those boxes. More than that, help us to carry with us all of the good things we have gained from the places we have been. And give us excitement and delight as we look out at new things on the path ahead of us. Amen
Just what I needed today- thanks for these faith lessons of truth, motivation and encouragement from your life Lynn- I am sure many are encouraged and inspired!
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