Why I try not to print to the edge...

How is it possible that nothing can make something meaningful?

"What in the world is whitespace?" you may ask.  In the graphic design world, “whitespace” is used to bring focus to what matters.  In order to draw your attention to what the designer wants you to see, they must create whitespace around it.  Interestingly enough, whitespace is not always white in color!  It can be all different colors but it does not catch your attention.  It’s sole purpose is to divert your attention to something else.  Nevertheless, it is supremely important in the design.

I often tell our students that it is the invisible part of your life that defines the visible part of your life.  It is the part that no one sees that characterizes every part that is seen.  Imagine with me that you are walking around with a sheet of paper taped to your chest everyday.  It has all of your titles listed on it: student, father, mother, employee, Christian, cook, gamer, fisherman, etc.  People that see you could have a look at it and read what you are all about.  It could have so many words on it that people have to spend an uncomfortable amount of time staring at your chest to figure out what you truly stand for and who you are.  Rather, it could be visually pleasing and have a ton of whitespace on it with a few words that truly define you in the center.  This could be seen from far away and read quickly.  Which would you prefer? 

It is the invisible part of your life that defines the visible part of your life.  What is whitespace in our lives?  It is the part that people don’t see.  It is our times of solitude.  I don’t have to quote all the scriptures to you about Jesus leaving the crowd to spend time with the Father.  I believe he had the most clearly defined life possible.  There was no question what he lived for.  It was because of his whitespace with the Father that his purpose was so profoundly written on Him.

Interestingly enough, in the print industry, you pay extra to print all the way to the edge.  Why?  Because you can’t print all the way to the edge without going over the edge.  You have to print on a bigger piece of paper and then cut the edges off.  Does it surprise us that in our lives, it also cost us extra to print all the way to the edge?  It costs us in more ways than we realize when we print to the edge and have no whitespace.  No one, including ourselves, knows what we truly stand for or live for.  

Over the years of my walk with the Lord, I have been challenged in multiple ways but none more than this constant fight for whitespace in my life.  Help us, Lord, to stop printing to the edges so that our lives divert attention to You.