Have you ever seen one of those very old letters, written when both paper and postage were costly, even a luxury? The writing covers the page from one edge to the other. In some cases, the paper is turned 90 degrees, and the writing continues perpendicular to the first paragraph. Sometimes a third layer is then written diagonally across the first two. Cover the back of the page the same way, and you’ve managed to convey a great deal of news on one sheet of paper, while at the same time making it nearly impossible to read.
One of the greatest “inventions” in printing and letter writing is the margin – the white space around the edges makes reading a pleasure and understanding possible. Our lives need margins as well. No matter how hard we try, we cannot do it all.
Jesus allowed for margins in his life. There are many passages in Scripture where Jesus went off to pray, often to a deserted place. In John’s account of Palm Sunday, after his entry into Jerusalem and teaching in the temple, Jesus departed and hid from the crowds (John 12:36b). Who knew?
This message is excerpted from “Consider your calling, beyond above and beyond” by Karen G. Bockelman in the April 2016 Gather magazine.
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