The fences that we build

When we moved into our home in 1991, we inherited an old metal shed building. Electricity had once run to the shed, but it was now disconnected. The exterior metal was rusting; one of the sliding doors was bent and required careful maneuvering to close.

Never one to sacrifice functionality for aesthetics, the shed looked terrible but it was still functional. So, we filled ‘er up and kept on living forward.

A few years later, more storage was required for tools and baseball gear, and so I built a small open-air shed beside the older metal shed. We called this structure “the barn” and it was equally as unattractive as the shed. But, for 20 years, it kept everything dry that we placed under it. Functional.

This past fall, a tree limb fell on the old metal shed, puncturing a hole in the back corner. Rain poured in and ruined some of our stuff – mostly old school  yearbooks, fortunately. The roof was not able to be repaired, and so a new storage plan was required.

Over the winter months, down came the old shed. Then, down came the old barn. Replacing both was a new, more modern shed – with windows. The Addams Family gets fancy.

But, as I stared at the nice new shed, I noticed a problem. Where the old metal shed had stood was going to require some serious yard work. That corner of the yard had grown up underneath an old and very large cedar tree. And, salvaging the 2x6 and 2x4 boards from the old barn, I now had a small lumber yard where the old metal shed had stood. 

I decided the best short-term solution was a nice 20-foot picket fence to hide that part of the yard and visually connect to the new shed as well. So, I built the fence.

Then, I stepped back on Memorial Day weekend and said, "It is good." Seriously, what I really said: “Wow, when you build a fence in front of something that looks bad, well, people see the fence instead of what’s behind it.” It's an illusion. 

I have always been a great fence-builder. God gifted me one very peculiar way. I have a natural eye for “level” and “symmetry.” No kidding. I can look at a wall, and put my finger right in the exact center of it. I can look at a photograph on the wall and see the slightest bit of crooked in how it hangs. (You might catch me adjusting the artwork in your house!) Likewise, when I built that fence in the backyard, I used a level to make sure the posts were the same height, but not one measurement was ever off. I think it’s from all those years designing newspaper pages, where lines of copy had to be straight.

So, fence-building is easy for me.

And, while some fences are built to keep things in and some fences are built to keep things out, my specialty has always been that fence that hides what’s behind it.
               
I will never forget the week after Richard was born in 1994. I had left the newspaper business and was working a part-time job that summer, feeling God calling me to ministry but not really clear on how to dive into it. I spent a lot of time in Bible Study and prayer. Money was tight. We were making do, but money was still very tight. We had three little boys under 6 and life was in a spin.

The fence communicated, “Everything is just fine here” and that’s what most people saw. But, behind the fence, life was a roller-coaster of highs and lows, and confusion and chaos.

We were in Atlanta one weekend that summer, and my mama quietly whispered, “I know better. Where is Jesus? Walk with Jesus, and everything will become clear for you.” She was right. Mothers have a way of seeing through the fences, don't they? I've used her lesson to me in helping listen to many others. I can’t tell you how many times I have been blessed by people who have called or met with me concerning the pain in their lives. And, as we meet, and as I listen, what I see on the first approach is the fence. “Scott, I don’t what to do about my career.” Or, “Scott, my spouse doesn’t love me.” Or, “Scott, how in the world have I lost control of my children?” Or, “Scott, I hate my job.” Or, “Scott, let me tell you about a friend of mine . . . (the ultimate fence) Or, “Scott, I can’t sleep; I’m so worried about the future.”

These fence-builders are coming to the master fence-builder and don’t even know it. As I tell my boys, “You can’t out-pirate an old pirate like me” so likewise “when it comes to fence-building, you can’t out-build me. I have been at it far too long.” And, so, like my mama taught me, I go beyond the restlessness to the heart of the matter. Where is Jesus in this storm? Is Jesus your Savior? When you look past the fences, you will be surprised at how many people don’t know Jesus or how many people will say things like, ‘Well, I go to church.’ Not the same. Knowing Jesus is a question with a simple yes or no answer; any answer but a confident 'yes' is really a 'no.'

If you study the life of Jesus, especially behind the miracles, you will see that Jesus went to the heart of the issue. Whether he brought someone back from the dead, or healed the sick, or restored the blind, or drove out demons, He looked beyond those fences to the heart of the matter – Can I be your Savior? Am I your Savior?

In John 9, there’s the lengthy story of Jesus walking along, and coming up on a man blind since birth. Jesus made some mud with his own spit, put the mud on the man’s eyes, and healed him. The man confessed to others that Jesus had healed him, and was called before the religious leaders. Listen to v. 13-34.

I want you to read that exhausting passage in John 9:13-34. Read it for the absurdity in it. Everyone is focusing on the blindness - on the fence - and the leaders even call in the poor blind man's parents. There so unnecessary drama as everyone focuses on the blindness and the fact that the man can now see. And, the poor blind man is jerked around like a feather in a storm.

In verse 35, Jesus hears about the insanity. He goes to the blind man and Jesus looks beyond the fence to the heart of the matter. He asks, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" And, by verse 38, the man with his sight restored says, "Yes Lord, I believe" and He worships Jesus.

"I am so worried about my career." Where is Jesus in your career plans?

"My spouse doesn't love me." Are you following Jesus, loving Jesus, and then loving your spouse that way?
"I've lost control of my children." Are you leading your children in faith? Are you praying for your children? Are your children seeing that you love Jesus?

"I hate my job." What does Jesus want you to do with your life?

"I can't sleep for all the fear in my life." Are you a follower of Jesus?

Many, many people live lives that look like the corner of my yard where the old metal shed used to stand. There are a lot of weeds back there. There is a lot of old junk back there. There’s a lot of wood from past projects back there. And, rather than clean it up, the easier thing to do is build a fence that hides it. It's time to stop looking like a healthy Christian and taking steps to become a follower of Jesus. (Moving past this metaphor, I will clean it up this fall and I will keep the fence.)

This year, I am really taking a personal accounting of where I am with Jesus. I really am. I am praying more. I am pondering where my life has been and where I want it to go next. I am working to pull down life's fences. I want to be even more transparent to people even if that means being more vulnerable to people. I keep coming back to these words, “Where am I with Jesus?” I encourage you to do the same. What’s in the dark corners of your life? What ‘s the condition of your life behind the walls of your home? And, are you building fences rather than dealing with the real question: Where is Jesus in my life?