Jump Out of the Box

Growing up I remember singing a nursery rhyme that goes like this – “Jack in the Box jumps up like this and he makes me laugh as hard as I can as he wiggles his head.” Here I am now as an adult debating with myself why would a child laugh so hard when Jack jumps up out of the box wiggling his head?

My thought – Jack was originally intended to be a cheerful free-spirited character created to make children laugh but somehow, he was locked away in a box suffocating his personality. All it took was one child to curiously open Jack’s box then for Jack to do only what Jack was born to do. Just wiggling his head created quite a commotion bringing laughter to a curious mind.

How many ‘Jack or June’ are buried and forgotten in boxes in homes, society, and unthinkable places waiting for a curious mind to open those boxes? Can you imagine the many wiggling heads if only those boxes can be opened? Can you hear the raucous laughter of the curious onlookers as they witness something that was once motionless coming to life?

For many people – circumstances have trapped you in fear making it difficult to jump out of your boxes. Some have been shoved and overlooked never fully understanding their full potential. Others maybe curious but insecurity has kept them buried in very dark lonely places. Most times friends and family do not realize how painful their lack of support or their passive temperaments hinder you pushing outside the box.

To all the Jack or June who may be locked in a box it is time to forcefully push the lid up and show up for the next performance. You are not trapped. You are not overlooked. You are about to jump out of the box. It is a curious act that you must take advantageous of now. You cannot allow other people to make you feel insecure about your performance. Your performance does not have to look like anyone else’s act.

Create new plans to have your own voice and not become an echo of someone who has gone on before. There is no place on the stage of life for impersonators. Dare to be an original and dare to stand alone. Years go by way too quickly for the blame game. Push the lid up, wiggle your head, laugh again, and make others laugh.

There is no box – only your imaginations. By you jumping outside of the box you scare people at first, but the laughter will follow. Never dim your light to make anyone feel secure. Your passion, curiosity, excitement, and your purpose will not make anyone stop hating you – so get on with the show. People will always find things to criticize and judge you for whether you do, or you don’t do – so do something positive anyway.

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message) says, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you?

I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”