Coloring in the Lines

In working with preschoolers, I spend a little time admonishing them to color in the lines. Inevitably, they will say “No scribble scrabbling?” And I’ll reiterate that they need to give it their best shot. Why do we care if they color in the lines? It’s just a visual sign that they understand the concept of boundaries.

Boundaries are so important to having a healthy and whole life. I shared on my podcast that I’m currently in a class with other adults. We’re all working to establish healthy boundaries in our lives. The course has been eye opening for me.

I first read the book about two years ago. I’ve shared before that I’m a fast reader. I can read a huge book in one day. I just tune out the world and soak the book in. I read the first part of this book in a day and didn’t read the rest for another 6 months. I couldn’t take it! I saw too much of myself in the book, and I didn’t like it.

Self examination is critical in the life of a believer. We always have to be open to correction. We always have to be willing to see ourselves for who we really are. It’s so easy for us to see what’s wrong with others. To take our crayons and color on their paper instead of looking at the scribble scrabble that we’ve done on our own papers.

There are times when it’s appropriate to help someone color their picture. When it’s okay to color outside the lines. But there are so many times when we need to focus on the masterpiece that is our lives. When we need to concentrate on perfecting our ability to color our own picture. #we preach