A beautiful truth flowing from the Resurrection and the Divine Mercy of Jesus is that we, His precious daughters, are free. Freedom is ours! That arms-flung-wide, twirling-around, bursting-with-joy kind of freedom!
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Can you remember the last time you felt that freedom feeling? I catch moments of it now and then, but I’ll be honest and tell you that a more common reality for me is the experience of being stuck or bound, not free. Perhaps you can relate to that.
I love this story that my friend Kim told me. It is relevant to this conversation about freedom and boundedness. Kim writes:
Copyright 2018 De Yarrison
Image licensed by De Yarrison from Dreamstime.com. All rights reserved.[/caption]
Can you remember the last time you felt that freedom feeling? I catch moments of it now and then, but I’ll be honest and tell you that a more common reality for me is the experience of being stuck or bound, not free. Perhaps you can relate to that.
I love this story that my friend Kim told me. It is relevant to this conversation about freedom and boundedness. Kim writes:
"I had an interesting experience today that I wanted to share with you. My goat, Lily, got her head stuck between the metal bars of her hay rack. She was screaming from the barn most of the day I'm sure. Unfortunately, I was not home until early afternoon to hear her. Picture a child with their head stuck in a stair railing and you'll have a visual ... So, I pulled and twisted and pulled some more, but nothing would release her noggin from the hay rack. I ran and got a rubber mallet and whacked at the bars, hoping to bend one of them, but they are solid metal; not aluminum and not hollow! I found a goofy little hacksaw and for half an hour, I sawed and sawed (while Lily tried to eat the saw blade and my fingers, mind you ...) until finally I cut through that thing!! And you know what? I pulled the bar aside and Lily just stood there ... as if she was still stuck! I had to pull the bar to the side with one hand and push her head out with the other. And even then, after she was released and I opened the stall door to give her total freedom, she just stood there. I had to coax her out, assuring her over and over that she was free. She just looked at me in a confused manner. Finally, she believed that she was really free and took off to eat in the field.”Kim’s story got me thinking about an interesting reality I see all around me (and in my own life). That we, by and large, tend to behave as bound people, feeling stuck, even though we are indeed free; That we think, speak, and act as if we have NOT been saved, redeemed, and set free. What makes us hesitate – like Lily the goat – to act upon and live in the truth of our freedom? Why do we easily and often allow the voice that says, "You're not good enough. You are rejected, alone, nobody, unlovable, worthless ..." drown out His Voice of Truth? Have you, like me, been colluding with the enemy and his subtle lies? Have you, like me, remained bound – to anxiety, self-criticism, fear of rejection, the lie of unworthiness – and denied yourself the full freedom experience which Christ so desperately wishes for us?
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death. -Romans 8:1-2Jesus’ saving, redeeming actions, which we recently held in sacred remembrance through Holy Week, the Triduum, and culminating with His Resurrection, have secured our freedom. He did it! He sets the gift of freedom before us and waits for us to unwrap it. To receive it and own it.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. -John 8:36And as we continue to move forward now, making our way back to ordinary time, my prayer is that we will each fully own our freedom, anchoring it deep within our hearts and minds. One way to help ourselves do that is to physically stand in a freedom posture. This may sound silly or odd, but trust me, it’s based on science. A quick way to change our minds is through changing our bodies. Try it for yourself. Stand up, arms open wide, chest lifted to the heavens, take a deep breath, twirl around or sway side-to-side. And say, “I am FREE! Thank you Jesus for my freedom!” Repeat often and notice how your experience shifts from bound to freedom!
How will you actively receive your freedom gift from the Lord today? What will be different for you today as you live the truth of your freedom in Christ?
Copyright 2018 De Yarrison
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