freedom

i had coffee with an amazing woman of God last night - a girl i've been privileged to "mentor" for the past few months. (i wonder if she has any idea how often she mentors me?)

among the many topics we covered was freedom. it's a glorious word, isn't it? Heather, awhile ago, asked us what we thought of when we heard the word freedom, and my mental image is running through a field of little white flowers. There was a night last winter when I was incredibly depressed, and completely broke down on a couple of good friends - one of them had a vision as he was praying for me that night, and that was the scene he described. it's (obviously) stuck with me...

freedom's an incredible thing, but sometimes it comes in stages. that's cool, in some ways, because it means that if you are trying to break free from something, there is hope that if you have not yet, you will someday. but there are times when freedom seems so elusive... when you're longing so much to just be free without all the work it takes to get there sometimes... and whether it's getting out of debt, or a sin you just can't seem to shake, or realigning the things you believe with the Truth... freedom often comes with a price, and sometimes it is steep.

but there is one kind of freedom for which the price has already been paid in full, and it is simply yours for the asking. "...it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:5)



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

in open fields of wildflowers, she breathes the air and flies away,

she thanks her Jesus for the daisies and the roses in no simple language.

someday she'll understand
the meaning of it all


Jars of Clay, right?

Happy said...

oh my goodness... i had totally forgotten about that song. wow. ok, so i'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face at the goodness of God and the way He weaves even the tiniest of details together in this amazing tapestry of life.

Roses have always been incredibly special to me, even before I knew why...

and daisies are the happiest flower... (according to Meg Ryan's character in "You've Got Mail" - and I agree.) As previously stated, "I am a sucker for roses and daises..."

and that song. oh my goodness, i have always loved that song. it's totally a heart's cry kind of song.

*Jesus, I want to fall so in love with You.*

Thanks, Cathy. What was to you most likely a random song association was to me a whole long interconnected chain of memories and associations that reminded me how much God loves me. And that someday I really will understand the meaning of it all.

It has been one of the best years of my life, in terms of how much I've grown in the Lord, and how I've seen Him at work; it has also been one of the toughest, emotionally. But they say roses emit a stronger fragrance for being crushed - and so too, I imagine that this brokenness will somehow result in something better for Christ. So I am smiling through these tears, and remembering how good He is....

Hm. I'm saying Kaddish... :)

a said...

You said, "but there is one kind of freedom for which the price has already been paid in full"....

This freedom cost the most expensive, pure life that ever lived. Thats why His grace is absolutly free and thats why He can never punish me.

Happy, What a beautuiful post.