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ABOVE THE FENCES

By Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan

Have you ever noticed how many fences there are: wire fences, wooden fences, boundary markers that define limits and control movement? They quietly tell us, “You can go this far, but no farther.” And then, almost without effort, a bird flies overhead.

That bird doesn’t slow down. It doesn’t circle back. It doesn’t even notice the fences below. It keeps soaring, free and unbothered. Why? Because the fences were never meant for the bird. They were built for those who walk on the ground, not for those created to fly.

Many of us who were created to soar are living as if fences have authority over us. We let limits, labels, opinions, past mistakes, disappointments, and fears tell us how far we can go. We live cautiously, always checking the boundaries, always afraid of crossing a line.

But God did not create us to live fenced in. He created us to rise. The Scripture says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). God’s plan is not for you to live cautiously at ground level, constantly measuring boundaries. His plan is for you to live above them.

Here’s the truth: fences may define the field, but they do not define the sky. People may have drawn lines around you, telling you who you are, what you can do, how far you’ll go. Circumstances may have fenced you in: your finances, your health, your past. But those fences only have power if you choose to live beneath them.

The bird doesn’t waste time arguing with the fence. It doesn’t try to tear it down or complain about why it’s there. It simply flies higher. That’s how faith works. Faith doesn’t spend all its energy fighting every obstacle, replaying every limitation, rehearsing every negative word. Faith rises. Faith changes altitude.

And when you change your altitude, what once looked like a barrier becomes small. From the ground, a fence can feel tall and intimidating. From the air, it’s barely noticeable. Some problems only feel big because you’re looking at them from the wrong level. God is inviting you higher.

So stop pacing the fence line. Lift your eyes. Trust God. With Him, the sky is always open, and there is always room to soar.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
December 16, 2025

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Hierarchical Sees

Holy Etchmiadzin
Holy See of Cilicia
Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Patriarchate of Constantinople

 

various dioceses

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www.armenianchurch.ca
www.armenianprelacy.ca
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