Set Free

I was listening to a story on the radio yesterday. It was about the official end to slavery in America and how, although technically free, many slaves just didn't leave their masters. The reasons for remaining in bondage, or even apparent bondage, probably varied. Some probably had absolutely no concept of freedom, so they just got up each morning and did what they had done the day before. Others genuinely liked the people they served and enjoyed the service. As I listened to the story, I imagined myself in that situation and considered the possibility that some just looked around their circumstances, right on the property where they lived and served, and looked for 'signs' that they were free. If everyone continued to act as if they were slaves, I suppose they just considered what they saw around them to be evidence that they were not really free and still needed a "savior".

The story teller on the radio made a comparison to Christians who believe that, according to the Bible, Jesus "set them free" from bondage to doing the things they didn't want to do. He emphasized that those who look at their present circumstances for the evidence that they are free to do differently than they have always done, will always believe they are still bound and in need of a "Savior" because the evidence suggests it is so.

In some cases, if the slaves would have just walked away from the property where they had been bound to remain as slaves, the path to freedom would become increasingly clear and would begin to make sense. As I thought about it, I thought of how 'bound' I have felt to patterns and habits that I felt completely unable to change. The one that was annoying me the most was morning. In 2007, I made a decision that I would just "get out of bed" when the alarm went off. I made a decision that I was done with the snooze. I just started getting up and stopped thinking about any options, and it became fairly easy to do for quite awhile. I remember it was 2007 because we were living at Annie's Cottage, getting her ready for her career as a vacation home.

Things were going along fine, I suppose, until I joined blip and began consuming a lot of time, satisfying time with a purpose, at the computer. Gradually, just being tired, I started resetting my alarm and only sometimes getting right up when the alarm went off, until, finally, I could do no different. I felt completely bound to postpone getting up and, even though I asked God every day to help me change this frustrating habit, it just seemed I was not free to do differently and I could ask all I wanted, but I would find no help at all. JESUS! Help me...pllllleeeeasse! Cuz I was very frustrated.

After hearing the little story it occurred to me. He already had. I am already free.

So, this morning, I got up, I got ready, I drove to Kaffe 101 for a Chai and some journaling, then I went to work and was incredibly productive. Good heavens! I was free all along! I just needed to do what my heart said to do. Who knew?