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Don't Hem Me In? Or - Maybe It Is "Please Hem Me In!"




 You hem me in—behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain (Psalm 139:5-6)

         This is another of those scary wonderful passages. We tend to not like to be hemmed in. When I got somewhere that has audience seating, I make it my goal to be on an end, so that there is only one person beside me. Often, I try to sit in back so there's no one behind me that I'll bother if I decide to stand up or leave. I tell people it's because of my back, but that's not the whole truth. I don't like feeling hemmed in. Strangely, there are a couple exceptions. I don't mind having someone next to me if I'm against a wall. Escape may require that I go past many people, but the wall provides a sense of security. I also don't mind being in places other people might consider claustrophobic, as long as there aren't people hemming me in.

       When God hems you in, behind and before, you might be tempted to feel claustrophobic, but in some ways, God is like that wall I mentioned. It doesn't give. You can't escape that way. You're hemmed in, but there is a sense of security in its strength. It won't let you fall out of your seat, and no one is likely to attack you through it. Another image that comes to mind is the protective wear worn by SCUBA drivers, the military and firefighters. Each one is a little different, but the idea behind them is to effectively seal the wearer in, and whatever might harm the wearer out. A final image that comes to mind is the videos I have seen of dogs trained to work with soldiers. Here's a video that shows what I think could be called a dog being hemmed in  - and in another sense, the soldier being hemmed in: Soldier and Dog Video

     David is right. Such knowledge is too high. We cannot attain it. Even seen at a distance, through a glass dimly, however; we can gain wisdom. The soldier and dog video is set to music and described as a dance. Whether you see it as soldier hemming in dog, or dog hemming in soldier, it is a dance because of the trust they share. That level of trust is always a mystery. It always amazes. It should inspire.

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