Defining Our Lives

 

The proof of someone getting a new fence is another sure sign of Spring in my neighborhood. Each year the transition in seasons can be marked by the sudden appearance of neatly stacked piles of aged panels of wooden fences placed at the curb. Someone has big plans for a beautified backyard.

I wonder what else is involved in the transformation? New landscaping? Pool repair or construction? A new patio? A new lawn? Who knows? But the key to the transformation is the new fence. The fence defines the canvas on which all the other work takes place. The fence defines the space.

In his poem, “Mending Wall”, Robert Frost proclaims that “good fences make good neighbors”. Though he spoke specifically of working with a neighbor to repair a New England stone wall, the truth is universal. We need to know what defines the space of our lives.

Jesus spoke of the things that should define our lives. We should treat others as we would wish to be treated. We should love God and our neighbor. We should trust in the love of God above all else, for ourselves and for each other. A life defined in these ways is a blessing to ourselves and a blessing to all.

Peace.