Walking Free

What does walking in freedom look like to you?

In church on Sunday the topic of being free in the Lord was raised. The pastor said freedom comes as we hand our lives over to God's authority. Do you find this statement to be comforting or frightening?

Does your freedom walk look like this?

I remember when I was a new Christian I was afraid to fully offer myself to God. I feared he might want me to head off to Africa or some other scary place and tell others about Him. And then one day it hit me - no matter where I am if I'm in God's will it's the best place I can be.

That's freedom.

If only I could hang onto this truth all of the time. When the going gets tough I can lose my grasp of his wisdom and power. And it's silly because I know I can trust him. I know he's got my back. I know he knows what is best and that he is enough. My trouble is that I like to live in a comfortable place. 

I don't want any overturned apple carts. 

I'm pretty sure God gets that about me because I've had a lot of overturned applecarts in my life. Sometimes I wonder if he shakes his head and says, "Dear-Dear Bonnie, when are you going to get it? When will trust me? 

When you do, your life will be sweeter.

My life is sweet. If I take the time to consider all that I have to be thankful for, like my family, I know this is true. 

God watches over me. He cares for me. He shines his light into my life so I can find my way. Throughout my life, he has fulfilled incalculable promises.

One example is when my husband and I decided to move to Oregon. We just had to get here and so we came. The year was 1980 - a bad time to quit a good job and begin a new life. We asked God what he thought of our plan, and then didn't listen to His answer.

The economy was a mess. There were no jobs, especially not in Douglas County, Oregon. We had two little ones and another on the way and we were broke. Our cupboards were bare.

We hung on for a year and then limped back to Seattle. I was brokenhearted and weeping as we drove away. I asked God to let me come back one day.

In all, we were gone 3 1/2 years. When we returned Greg stepped into a good stable job, and the house we'd built was still here. We settled down, raised our family, stepped into our community and church. We've had many good years here.

I believe God wanted us to live here in Oregon, but Greg and I stepped out ahead of Him. The poor timing made for hardships that were unnecessary had we waited on him. But one of the beautiful things of walking with the Lord is that he uses even our mistakes to help us grow. The Lord is always good.

Greg and I are no long young, but life continues to be exciting and challenging. And I still struggle to relinquish my ways to God. But I am learning and growing. And the more I place my daily life, with all it's beauty and troubles, in God's hands the more freedom I experience.

The best way is always God's way, And the freedom I long for comes only in trusting Him.

And so, I begin a new day. What am I going to do with it? Rely on me or Him? What do you think? And what do you hope to do with yours?

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie