Don't Fence Me In

In our fast paced world most of us are on a schedule and usually are irritated when someone or something upsets our plans. Recently, airline passengers have had to face this problem, but it happens to many of us as we commute to work each day. A traffic jam can be the incident that gets our day off to a bad start.

While caring for my wife following her surgery I had have to learn about deference. Deference is
"the quality of integrating regard for another's wishes." It is a little easier to practice this trait with someone you know and love, but not so easy when it comes to the general public or another driver. However, God advises us that it is part of being submitted to him. In Romans right after we are told to present ourselves to God as a reasonable service, we are than instructed to "prefer one another."

Sometimes having our schedule or plans altered turns out for our own good. Perhaps a traffic jam keeps us from being at the wrong place at the wrong time and out of an accident. God knows all about our comings and goings and allows those things in our life that He sees fit. So, while we might be tempted to say, "Don't fence me in", we need to realize that fences are meant for our own good.