Wild & Free - Part 1

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Wild & Free
Part 1 - HOPEFUL APPROACH TO FREEDOM

The other morning, I came home from taking Bryce to school. That particular morning, Sarah had decided to stay home with the dogs.  As I pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door, everything turned into instant chaos.

While I was gone, the dogs needed to go outside. So, Sarah had let them out. As I was pulling into the driveway and opening the garage door, on the other side of the door, Sarah was letting Vader off the leash and into the garage.  Those are not 2 good combinations.

Before I knew it, all I saw was a black and white blur flying by me.  Vader was loose! Just wait though, it gets even better, Sarah had left the house door open when she went out to get Vader, so, by the time I stepped out of the van, out comes Posey running into the front yard.

As I watched all of this unravel, I wasn't too amused.  Vader was long gone and there was no way I was going to chase afterTWO dogs!  Lucky for us, Posey, being old & out of shape, ran to the middle of our front yard and then decided to come back to the house. But not Vader, Sarah and I spent 15 minutes, yelling at the top of our lungs, shaking a box of cereal and running after Vader in an attempt to get him back home. At 8:00 in the morning, I am sure the neighbors got a good laugh at all of this.  But this all happening on a Monday morning and before I even had a sip of coffee,  I was not laughing!

“Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.”
Galatians 5:1 TPT

Vader surely did “stubbornly refuse” to come back to us. But Sarah & I finally caught him, put him back on his leash and took him home. For Vader, his freedom was short lived. But it was long enough to give me a lesson on what God intends freedom to look like, and not to look like.

When I opened that garage door, there were 3 very different faces of freedom that I saw.  I wish I would have had the opportunity to capture it on camera!

The first face I saw was the Hopeful approach to freedom.  As soon as Vader no longer had his chain on him and his attention was drawn to the light of the garage door going up, he went flying out, the expression on his face was pure and exuberant FREEDOM! If freedom had a look, he had it!  Pure bliss, as his ears were back and flying in the wind and he was smiling ear to ear!  He was free to run and he took the opportunity to do it!  

For Vader to obtain freedom, everything had to line up at the exact same time. And until it all lined up, freedom would not be obtained.

1.    Vader had to be let outside and put on his chain.

2.   Vader had to be let off his chain, and brought into the garage.

3.   The garage door had to be opened at just the right time.

 If one of these didn’t happen, he wouldn’t have experienced the freedom.

“We have boldness through him, and free access as kings before the Father because of our complete confidence in Christ’s faithfulness.”
Ephesians 3:12

Vader definitely showed boldness when he claimed his freedom! When the leash that kept Vader where he was supposed to be was taken off and when the garage door that had always kept him confined went up, Vader saw the chance for freedom, and he took it!  He left his chain behind and ran for freedom.  He didn't think twice, he abandoned everything. He took the freedom! Everything that had been familiar to him no longer mattered. He left it all behind.

It would be safe to say that fear did not enter into his mind. He was focused on the hope of freedom! He was intently focused on what was ahead.  Could something terribly wrong have happened? Yes, he could have gotten lost, he could have gotten hurt.  But, did something terribly wrong happen? No! Why?  Because when he went after his Freedom, he had his owner along with him.  His owner stayed closed to him. When he started to run too far away, his owner encouraged him to come closer, when he got close to harm, his owner warned him.  His owner was always within eye and ear shot!

In our lives, maybe things need to line up for us to obtain freedom also.  So what needs to line up in order for us to obtain freedom?

We do not need freedom if there isn't something that is binding us, holding us down.  Just like Vaders chain kept him in the yard, what is keeping us from freedom in Christ? So, we need to take the time to recognize what is keeping us in chains.  What is holding us back from freedom?

We need to begin putting ourselves in an environment where freedom is accessible.  We need to place ourselves at Jesus’s feet where you can find healing.  When you find healing, freedom will come. Without Jesus and finding that healing place, there will be no freedom.

We need to have hope in freedom. When we get to the place that freedom is accessible. When we see the chance at freedom, we have to take it.  We cant stay back gripped in fear.

When Vader needed let inside, he didn't have to do anything but bark.  He had to let his owner know he was ready to be off his chain and let inside.  We don’t have to do anything for Jesus to set us free. All we have to do is call on Him and He will set us free!

His light broke through the darkness and he led us out in freedom from death’s dark shadow and snapped every one of our chains.  So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves!
Psalms 107:14-15 TPT
Music For You:
*Place of Freedom by Highlands Worship

https://youtu.be/aMxcmoSFZ98