Freedom

Well, first of all, I see that my link to the walking sites didn't come through so I'm sorry about that. If you're interested it was "trailsdenver.com". There are so many more, just do a Google search to see them. Was thinking today about freedom and the opposite, which are all the things that bind us and keep us from experiencing freedom. When I was working with someone many years ago she asked me one day "Val, what would it take for you to know freedom?" and it was such a startling question that I asked her where it came from. Shortly after that I came across a verse in Ps 119:32 "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Ever since then I've wanted to run! Not physically, my body won't let me do that anymore, but in every other way to be and feel free - and I'll admit, I haven't made it yet.

From time to time I think about all the shackles we have, some that we put on ourselves, that keep us from running. It's heart-wrenching to me when I see on TV a prisoner shuffling in with shackles - to think that we would put them on ourselves is nearly unbelievable, yet I think nearly every one of us does it. One way to know what those are is to think about where we spend our time and our money. For many, it's long work hours, for some food or even the lack of it, same with exercise. For many it's pornography or alcohol or drugs - anything that consumes us and keeps us from being who we really want to be. And my point is that whether the shackle comes from a positive thing like work or a negative thing like drugs, it keeps us from running.

It's a good thing to think about and really be honest with yourself - do you know freedom? If not, do you want to? If you have interest, there are some verses you might be interested in looking up: Psalm 118:5; Psalm 119:45; Psalm 146:7; John 8: 32 and 34-36; Galatians 5:1.

Here's to true freedom for all of us!