Co-written by Day Marshall, LMHC LPC (Senior Clinician, Director of HCC Oregon) and Matt Warren, LMHC MDiv (Executive Director, Senior Clinician)
In a literal sense, margin is the open space circumscribing the writing on a piece of paper. It designates the space that the writer is not supposed to write in. It is intended to create a tidy boundary that contains the content of the rest of the page. Without margins, the page would feel overcrowded, overwhelming, confusing, and possibly illegible, even if filled with lots of good content.
Margins in life serve the same kind of purpose – to keep the busyness and fullness and necessity of life (all of which might be very good and important stuff!) from overflowing beyond its proper place and invading the open spaces that allow such valuable work to be sustained. Self-care, rest, and rejuvenation all exist in the margins and quite simply cannot exist without margins in place. As counselors, we must struggle to set and maintain these boundaries of margin so that we can remain spiritually and emotionally intact while caring deeply for people in crisis and pain. Whatever it is that you do vocationally and whoever it is that you serve and care for deeply, we are convinced that boundaries of margin are likewise essential for you to contain and sustain the valuable content of your life.
Jesus himself, even in his fully redeemed and sanctified expression of humanity, exemplified this need for margins in his life and ministry. One of the most definitive ways that we see Jesus creating boundaries of margin is through his seeking out time with the Father. The Gospel of Luke reports that Jesus would regularly “withdraw to desolate places and pray” even as “great crowds” were gathering from far and wide to hear his teaching and receive healing (Luke 5:15-16). The Son of Man actively said “no” to those who demanded his time and needed his care in order to first say “yes” to solitude, quiet, and renewal in the presence of his Father. Jesus’ capacity to lead and serve was not less because of these margins, but in fact much greater and more enduring. If this is true for Jesus, then how much more should this be true for us.
We also see Jesus establish boundaries of margin with those whom he surrounded himself. Jesus frequently focused his time apart from the “great crowds” on a few, select friends. Jesus was needed by this small group of close friends, but he also relied upon them. Though Jesus was clearly still leading among them, there was reciprocity in these relationships. He could be at rest and be himself in their presence. Making ample time to be in the company of identified people who provide such sanctuary was integral to Jesus’ mission. We in turn need to identify these types of people in our life and recognize that time spent with them in the margins, even at the expense of other more “necessary” tasks, will help to preserve us in our own callings.
What are the essential boundaries of margin that give shape to your life and vocation? Where are the designated open spaces that contain and sustain the valuable content of your life? We know firsthand that this is no small feat. So to support you in it, we have created a free downloadable tool (click HERE) that highlights a few simple ideas and resources which can help in the practice of creating margin.