Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Is Freedom free?

   As I sit down to reflect on the past 2 weeks I am in awe of God's love for me and my family. I see God working in the little everyday things to the very big things. For instance, on Easter Sunday a couple weeks ago we decided to take the boys on a picnic to Surrender Field at Yorktown Battlefield, a very historical battlefield in U.S. history. Watching my husband and my two sons interact as they played football together, acted out bible characters and brought me flowers gave me a picture of God's love for us. A father, who is not only strong and tough, but one that is also full of love and laughter, and two sons who absolutely adore and trust in their father. They are so innocent and don't have a care in the world because they know who their father is, and they know his love for them. They are able to feel safe, secure and free all at the same time.
  
During our picnic, Micah found a stick and declared "I am Moses and this is my walking stick." Then, of course, Josiah wanted in on the adventure so he then declared that he was Aaron, Wayne (their dad) was Pharaoh and I was Miriam. About 25 yards from where we were sitting, on a hill, was a monument that overlooks the battlefield which had a picture of the battlefield on it, and a button you could push to listen to a narrator. The boys pushed the button and a loud voice began to speak. Josiah said “That is the voice of God," as they proceeded to act out the story of Moses. They were picturing themselves being on Mt. Sinai and hearing the voice of God speak to them. I can't help but also think of the fact that the very place we were having our picnic was the very place where Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender. The victory and freedom for The United States of America was secured there over 200 years ago and our countries fate was forever changed. My children can not only know the freedom of being an American, but they can have and know true freedom in Jesus Christ who also paid a high price for us. A price that cost him everything he had. He willingly surrendered his own life so that we could be free from sin, bondages, eternal damnation, sickness, disease, poverty, brokenness, and everything that tries to bring us down. He took every sin, every hurt, fear, broken heart, sickness and disease to the cross and the grave so that we could spend eternity with Him AND so we could live a life of freedom here on this earth. I am so thankful for the sacrifices every soldier has made for this country so that we can live in freedom, and I am thankful most of all for the greatest, strongest warrior I know, Jesus Christ. The freedom that he gives is available to us all! It costs us nothing, but cost Him everything. I am thankful that we can be free in every sense of the word and that my children can grow up experiencing the joy and peace that comes in knowing they are free! They are free to believe God and trust His word, free to act out bible stories and use their imagination as if they too were living in that day, free from persecution and judgment. How good is God to not only provide freedom for us through His son but to also let us live in a country that IS Free!