Being Free

Imagine you’re running through a field of wheat with your best friend, and you come to hill covered in lillies and grass overlooking a wide river, falling into a waterfall. As you lie down under the shade of a tree, you begin to wonder if you’ve ever felt so free, or ever beheld such a beautiful scenery; you can’t imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else, with anyone else. You lie there with your friend, for what seems like hours. You have no cares, no responsibilites, nothing to do, but abide in the peacefulness of nature. Your friend sits up, smiles at you for a brief moment, runs, and throws themself into the river, which quickly plunges them under and over the deep waterfall. Your time of ease and enjoyment, has just become one of panic and fear. You run towards the bottom of the waterfall, hoping to find your friend safely ashore. It is too late…your friend is gone…you will never see them again. They’re gone.

What happened? The setting you were in was so perfect and majestic and tranquil, like a daydream, and then all of a sudden it became your worst nightmare. Could it have been prevented? Was there anything you could’ve done to save your friend? Walk with me.

I would like to tell two true stories, both personal experiences in the recent past.

It was a Sunday night; I had arrived for church 30 minutes early, so I took a seat and waited in the lobby, watching the people around me. Shortly after my arrival, a girl walked in, who seemed, not necessarily depressed, but heavy and hurting. I made sure to cast a glance on her every once in awhile, just in case things became worse and she needed help. The auditorium opened, and I entered, assuming my usual seat. Still performing my routine of glancing around me, I noticed the girl sat across the aisle from me. Throughout the service, I continually checked on her: she seemed very much in deep thought, kneeling during the worship times, head bowed during the service. I felt some sort of attraction to her, not because of her beauty, but more like I sincere caring for her. As the end of the service approached, I felt like I should go to her, and ask if everything was alright and if she needed prayer for anything. I fought that idea with everything I had…being a girl, I feared she might remove herself as she saw me approaching her…but I eventually decided that I needed to ask her, to make sure she was okay, and that if she needed anything to offer it to her. At the end of the service, I crossed the aisle, and asked her these things. She thanked me for my caring, and assured me that there was nothing the matter, that the Holy Spirit had been moving in her, and she was being sensitive to His presence. I wished her a good night, and that was the end of it. No introductions, no pleadings, no warnings, no excuses.

The second story.

I was on my way to Pointe Orlando to see Night at the Museum 2 with some friends of mine. As I was approaching a light-controlled intersection, I noticed a lady walking with a rolling briefcase on the sidewalk, travelling in the same direction as I was. I just briefly glanced at her, but I like I should say something to her, even if it was just hello. There was a parking lot ahead, so I could have easily managed it, but I did not. I thought that by my action of stopping, walking towards her, saying hello, and then walking with her back towards my car, would be too direct, and could easily frighten her, and potentially be threatening to my own physical health (being maced or tazed). As I drove away, I began to think about the situation that had just occurred, and that’s when this thought came to mind:

The truth of freedom is not only found in doing what you want, but also in doing what is right, no matter the appearances, the judgements, or the terrors that may be cast upon you. Truly being free, is doing those things that are right, with no regard for the temporary pains that will be inflicted on you. From where we receive our freedom, should be the definition of the mindset in which we act upon that freedom. Since we as Christians receive our freedom from heaven, that freedom should be expressed the same here, as it would be there.

Did you follow that? What I am trying to explain to you, is that from wherever we receive our freedom, we should act as though we are living in the origin of that freedom. For us Christians, since we receive our freedom heaven, the dwelling place of God, that freedom empowers us to act freely in this world, even though it will not be accepted. The freedom that would make us bold in heaven should make us equally bold in this world.

What does this mean for us? That we should not fear talking to a stranger on the street, that we should not fear giving a hug to a homeless man, that we should act upon every single opportunity we are given to glorify the kingdom of God without one shred of fear. That is the truth of the freedom we possess. Not only to worship God in our own way, as the laws of this nation permit us to, but also to go out and take advantage of the freedom we have been given by God, to abuse it, to stretch it to the limits, to fight for all that is worth fighting for, and to love all, for all are worthy of love.

Be free my friends, and know the truth of the freedom you possess.