Without Walls

LIMITLESS!
(Zechariah 2:1-4)
I once read about how the Indians 
tame their elephant. 
It’s leg is usually chained to a log 
pinned to the ground. 
The elephant struggles to break free,
 it tries over time and sooner or later,
 it accepts its fate. 
It stops struggling. 
It limits itself to the range the chain 
would allow it reach. 
Now, when the chain is removed, 
it still doesn’t go beyond the boundary. 
Why? 
Because the chain is no more on 
its leg, but in its mind.
The same can be said of the poultry 
chicken. It is confined to a space 
where all it does it eat, drink, sleep 
and lay eggs. 
When you bring it out, it doesn’t run. 
It doesn’t fly. 
It stays in one position because that is
 what it is used to. 
It has been conditioned to be in one 
spot, so when freedom comes, 
it doesn’t recognize it.
What limits you? 
What boundaries have you set for 
yourself? 
What walls have you constructed that 
holds you in prison? 
As humans, there is the tendency to 
limit ourselves in our minds. 
We see levels we just believe we 
can never go beyond. 
As long as we entertain such thoughts, 
we will never go beyond it.
Two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright 
believed man could invent a machine 
that would fly. 
Nobody believed them. 
Nobody saw what they saw. 
They were convinced it was possible, 
despite the knowledge of science in 
their days. 
The scientists laughed at them. 
The people scoffed. 
They were ridiculed. 
But they believed in what they 
were doing. 
They invented the first aircraft 
and shut the mouth of the scoffers. 
They were not limited by the 
thinking of their generation.
What limits you?
I was at a party some years ago. 
Families gathered at a mutual 
friend’s house on Boxing Day to wine, 
dine and have fun. 
Towards the end of the party, the 
children were asked to line up for 
gifts. 
One by one, they would walk up to 
a lady who would hand them a gift. 
This girl of about 10 years walked up 
and stretched out her LEFT hand for
 her gift. 
The lady asked her to collect it with 
her RIGHT hand. 
She refused. 
She’s left-handed. 
She insisted on collecting with 
her left, the lady insisted on 
the right. 
The parents watched, waiting to see 
how the stand-off would end. 
The girl asked, “What is wrong with 
my left hand, ma’am?” 
The lady replied, “It is against our culture!” 
The girl responded, “Duh! Your culture is 
primitive!”
That lady is limited by culture. 
The girl is not.
What limits you?
Zechariah saw a man with a tape 
in his hand. 
He asked him, “Where are you going?” 
He replied, “I am going to measure 
Jerusalem, I want to know its length 
and breadth.” 
In other words, he wanted to know the 
LIMITATIONS of Jerusalem!
 He wanted to know what Jerusalem 
was limited to. 
He wanted to know where the jurisdiction 
of Jerusalem does not extend beyond.
You are Jerusalem. 
Someone somewhere has measured you 
with HIS TAPE. 
He has told you your limitations and 
you believed it. 
You have conditioned your mind not 
to go beyond the limits set for you. 
You want to go to the university, 
they tell you “You, university? 
Is it your type that go to the university? 
What did you smoke? 
Nobody in your family has gone beyond 
secondary school! 
You must be drunk to even think of that!”
You want to travel out of the country. 
Someone laughs at you. 
“You? Travel out of the country? 
Nobody in your family has ever 
left the village, nobody has even 
been to the state capital before, 
talk less of the airport! 
You are saying you want to travel 
out of the country! 
Are you sure you are ok?”
And they limit you with their tape! 
They tell you your length and breadth! 
They tell you the limitations they 
have set for you!
Don’t believe them anymore! 
Don’t live your life within their 
limitations anymore! 
Break free!
As the man walked away to measure 
Jerusalem, an angel appeared and said,
“Run after him! 
Tell him Jerusalem shall be inhabited 
as a city WITHOUT WALLS!” 
Jerusalem shall be LIMITLESS!
You are limitless. 
You have been conditioned not to 
dream beyond a level. 
But you are FREE! 
Dream as high and as wide as you can!
YOU ARE JERUSALEM, 
A CITY WITHOUT WALLS!!!

Shalom.

- Haruna Daniels