FREEDOM!

Freedom! We all want to be free. Free to do what we believe we were created to do. Free to love. Free to be unique. Free to soar. Free...

This week a beautiful dove entered our screened porch and couldn't find her way out. We opened the door so she could fly out at her leisure to no avail. After two days of trying to get out of the corner she was in, she was exhausted and weak. I tried to shew her out and she kept going back into the corner. Her feathers were all battered and torn from her stuggle and her strength was waning. The morning of the third day, (that sounds so biblical!) I enlisted my husband's help and gave him my recommendations for helping her. He tried my way one time and then took matters into his own hands - literally. He walked over to the dove, captured her in his hands and began to stroke her head and talk to her as he walked with her to the door. As he released her into her freedom, she left behind a bunch of battered tail feathers, and soared.

What a beautiful example of what often happens in our lives. We know we were meant to "fly" and yet we feel trapped in whatever "cage" we're in. It could be the cage of discouragement, the cage of fear, the cage of jealousy, the cage of inadequacy, or the cage of the unknown. We get stuck in that cage, whichever one it is, and can't find our way out because we keep battering against the area of the cage with no opening. There is a way out, a door, a window, an opening, but we're so accustomed to our "corner" we don't want to leave. We finally get so worn out, so battered trying to do it our way, our dream about to die, we go to the Father for His help. Even then, we try to give Him our formula for success in setting us free. He may let us have a go doing it our way and when that fails again, He takes matters into His hands! He picks us up in His hands, gently soothes our head and heart with His caress, speaks peace to our soul and releases us into our promise! What an extraordinary Daddy!

As I watched my husband soothe and quiet the dove with his hand and his voice, it was such a visual for me of Abba Father's care over you and me. Just like the dove, you and I have a way out of our "cages". I don't believe the dove would have been as easily caught the first or second day. It was only after she had exhausted her strength and schemes that she was ready to be picked up and helped by the master. Then and only then did she achieve freedom and begin to soar. I am learning to trust the Master's hand so I don't have to wait until my strength is gone to go to Him for help and comfort. I'm learning that His soothing touch and calming voice bring peace to my spirit and life to my dreams and purpose. I no longer want to live my life beating myself up by trying to make my own doors and windows. I want to live free to be all I am called to be by trusting Abba Father in all areas of my life. I am planning on soaring! So, make way - you hear my wings flapping?