Fringe life

Exodus 14:10 And when Pharoah drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord

Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward

Philippians 3: 13, 14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

You know how it is when you are not in and you are not out? Hanging out maybe. Going with the flow. Not dry and not wet. Not cold, not hot. Not blue, not red. Lika dis and lika dat. It can seem safe. A safe place to dodge criticism, branding and identification. A life of no real identity.

But tell me. How useful is a hybrid that has no real coloration and commitment to anything? That is what is wrong with the fringe. You didn’t get out and you didn’t come in. Now let’s see what happens when you are in the doorway on the path to nowhere?

People need to push you out of the way because you are in the way! No wonder then that many people feel pushed by life. Pushed on the bus, pushed in the queue, pushed off the assembly line. Perhaps, if you got really busy going to that place whose lights shine so bright in your mind’s country, you may not even notice the person pushing against your trolley in the supermarket line. You will be too busy smiling at what only you know. Excited about tomorrow.

Years ago, I read a book called ‘Your God is too safe’. It was about the God who calls people out of their comfort zone so they can become their best. Believe me, living in comfort zones is one of the strongest enemies to achieving your dreams. You will not stretch, persevere, endure. So in this quest to live authentically, be careful of how much you seek safety. You may be running from confronting the real you, because what the real you wants may be risky.

There is the story of the eagle that will not stand for the comfort that makes them slow. After a while, it leaves the rest of the community; goes to a high and lonely place; sheds off the extra feathers and beak by shredding them herself. Then with a high shriek, she flies off – to continue the adventure of being the highest flying bird. This is what a clear and strong sense of your identity will make you do consistently. You will shed off those things that slow you down and take the pain of getting “there.”

The fringe life may seem comfortable – but anyone who reached any real place of note took defining steps. No standing in the doorway. That only blocks the light.