Be careful what you ask for… This week I was praying that God would give me inspiration for my next blog post. In less than twelve hours, I had my inspiration but at what expense…. I don’t know about you, but I think shallow pockets are the worst. What is the point of them anyway? Whatever I put in them always ends up on the ground, yet I continue to put important things in them. On my way into the gym yesterday, my hands were full, so naturally I put my phone in my pocket. As I walked across the parking lot, I heard the dreaded smack as my phone hit the asphalt. Every time I drop my phone (a common occurrence) and it lands upside down, I always hold my breath until I flip it over to see the status of the screen. Most of the time, I flip it over with a sigh of relief as everything seems to be okay, but yesterday was not the case. As I flipped my phone over, I saw the dreaded cracks across my screen. Oh well, I thought, I guess it’s time to buy a new screen protector. But boy was a wrong. As I picked up my phone in its Otterbox case with a glass screen protector, I ran my fingers over the screen protector to feel no crack at all which meant my phone screen must be cracked beneath it.
Walls or other protective barriers, give us a FALSE sense of security. I believe most of us put up walls in our lives in an effort to protect ourselves from getting hurt. But the very thing that is meant to protect us becomes the reason we end up getting hurt in the first place. Take my phone for example. Do I actually believe that my phone case and the screen protector caused my phone screen to crack, no. But I do believe that if I did not have those false securities, I would have been a lot more careful with my phone. I knew those pant pockets were shallow, but I still put my phone in them because it had a case on it. 9/10 the case does its job, but that one time it doesn’t can destroy the phone.
What happens if we stopped using things of such little value to protect something of great value? Some of us put up a wall that we are independent and don’t need a man because we are scared if others knew how we really felt. We go on dates with guys that we know won’t last and end up getting hurt because we pretend that we don’t really care. We lie to ourselves and to others and we are the ones that end up hurt. Just because a condom protects you from STIs and unwanted pregnancy, doesn’t mean your heart doesn’t get damaged in the process.
I want you to think about what FALSE securities you have in your life. What do you think is protecting you that might actually be harming you? Is a contract you signed at work a false job security making you think it’s okay to slack on the job? Is that wedding ring on your finger a false security that you do not have to keep pursuing your spouse in order for them to stay around? For me, I think getting a job right out of college would give me that false sense of security that I know who I am and what I am doing with my life. But the reality is I am 22 years old and have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life and I am learning to be okay with that. Right now I want to be a teacher after the World Race, but who knows five years from now? People can have many different jobs or even careers in their life and that is awesome!
Instead of putting up a wall to protect yourself, protect yourself with wisdom by not putting yourself in situations that need a wall……
