The line can mean multiple things, I can put my machine on the assembly line. I can put my foot on the boundary line. I can even get in line to checkout once I've finished shopping for groceries. These things are maybe nominal at best with what I'm going to try to describe to you. While maybe the boundary line is the closest, a performance-related boundary is just about the farthest from the image I can attempt to describe for a few reasons. In most sports there's just grass on the other side and the only consequence is that you would have a whistle blown at you to warn you from going over the line again. In other boundary lines there are clear cut rules on how to navigate them, such as in a car where you may drive over the line that divides lanes to get off on the next exit. Let's go a little more extreme though.
Imagine yourself standing in Arizona, having just driven for 8 hours to see one of the world's many wonders, The Grand Canyon. You came by yourself since you like to venture alone, and you're now making the home stretch from your car to the viewpoint that you have not yet chosen. Looking around you immediately realize how hot it is in comparison to the inside of your car. Already uncomfortable. You can see the red sands stretching for what seems like decades, the cacti and sagebrush echoing in the wind. Joshua trees are planted in an attempt to stop the sand from getting into the parking lot but with a wind like this, you can't help but get your shoes a little bit dirty. You begin to walk toward the building which all tourists must go through, a ridge slowly coming into view with what looks like a sheer drop off. You pay your money and walk toward where everyone else is chattering and oohing, taking their tourist photos, and enjoying their tourist friends who have tourist clothes and tourist hats. They all have an advantage, they see the boundary. They see the railing you see, but see it as it is purposed for. You see it as a challenge, as a goal. In dreams and meditations, you've been told to "jump." This is the boundary line that was in your mind at first. You get to the edge of the railing and look down, marveling at the amazing drop you ask God one more time "you sure about this?"
The most obvious thing to point out during this journey is that you would very quickly make your arrival in heaven if you were to succeed the jump. Everything you ever thought you could achieve, ever wanted to spend time doing, any person you thought you could love, any family you figured you would have had the opportunity to create. Gone. Just. Like. That. However, if we're being honest, this is what the Bible has called us to. This is how God has chosen to interact with those who say they want to give their lives to Him. It's shown over and over, Abraham, David, Joshua, Moses, Jesus, Paul, Timothy, Andrew. All of these Historical characters drive a piece home. God is not interested in giving us the life we think we want, He's interested in giving us the life He wants us to experience. Sometimes we will perceive that He is much more interested in killing us than He is at giving us life, and this is quite the opposite of what He's accomplishing and doing inside of us. For "whoever loses his life for my sake will gain it." You are told to "jump." If you feel like you're barely hanging on to the cliff edge your challenge is to let go, and let yourself free fall into His arms.
After all, without Him life is meaningless, or as Ecclesiastes likes to say "Vanity. Vanity. Everything is vanity!"
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