About 8 years ago, we rescued a 6-year old corgi/golden retriever mix (I had wanted a female, puppy, that didn't shed, but I prayed for God's will and got a 6-year old male who sheds like a fool and had heartworm! ... God knew what I needed, though!)
Because Cody had heartworm, he had to undergo several treatments that required him to maintain low activity levels and to be on a leash if he was outside for the first 3 months he lived with us. High activity levels could have caused the drugs that were working to kill the heartworm to actually be dangerous (or even lethal) to him, so he and I were pretty much attached at the hip (or at least at the leash!) for 3 months.
As a result of that (as well as other factors), he became very attached, particularly to me, since I was at home with him every day. By the time his heartworm treatment was finished, he had developed separation anxiety, and we realized that no matter what we did, if we left him in the house while we were gone, he would tremble and shake (among other things) until we returned, but if we left him outside, he was fine (he had been an outdoor dog before we adopted him). Most dogs do not have a problem with staying in the house by themselves, but for Cody, it was a problem; his desire was to be outside, but the lack of boundaries in our backyard created an unsafe environment for him.
We have a large yard (over an acre), so it wasn't feasible to fence the entire yard, but we wanted him to have as much freedom to roam as possible, so between an actual fence and an electric fence, we were able to give him the maximum freedom to roam the entire property (for the most part), while still keeping him safe from wandering off. Occasionally, however, the electric fence will have a break in it, and sooner or later, he will realize it's down and start wandering away. Obviously, this is a problem; he could get hit by a car, get lost and not be able to fend for himself, etc. We could have opted to buy an outdoor kennel for him when we left; it might have been easier and less expensive (especially in the long run) then installing and maintaining the electric fence, but we wanted him to have the maximum amount of freedom while still maintaining safety and protection.
Years have passed and as he has gotten older, he doesn't enjoy being out in the elements - like, at all! Not even to pee! At this point in his life, his desire is to stay in the house when we are gone, so his anxiety about being in the house alone was actually restricting his freedom. So when the electric fence recently broke down again, I started leaving him in the house. It took some time and training, and he still sometimes has accidents. But he is learning that he is safe and comfortable in the house even if we aren't home.
Our goal is Cody's safety and happiness; we love him and we want what's best for him. We don't give him boundaries to be mean to him or to restrict him unnecessarily, but rather to protect him. Over the years, we have had to be flexible with his boundaries; what works in one situation, doesn't always work in all situations. If we were still keeping him on a leash every time we went out in our yard and trying to keep him at low activity levels, that would be an excessive boundary, even though it was a perfectly appropriate and loving boundary for the 3 months he was having heartworm treatment.
I have learned over the years that God tends to operate in a similar way; having no boundaries at all is not loving or in my best interests. Obviously, there are some boundaries that are fairly universal; there are certain things that are always off-limits in every and all circumstances. But He also has boundaries that are unique to each person and circumstance. He knows each individual, and He knows the areas of their lives that could become strongholds for them. These kinds of boundaries tend to be more flexible, and more tailored to each of us individually. He wants us to experience the abundant life He has planned for us. What poses a dangerous threat to one may not be a problem for others. A boundary He has given me, may not be a boundary He has given you. But His boundaries are always intended to help us achieve the maximum amount of freedom -- freedom from strongholds, and freedom to live the abundant life He has planned for us.
© I Lift My Voice, 2015.