“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
??Psalms? ?23:1-6? ?
How sweet are the lightning bugs in the garden? Lighting up the path, shining bright in even the darkest nights. That’s what the fullness of freedom looks like to me.
As I tell you this story, I want you to let your imagination run wild, with vibrant colors and deep details.
I close my eyes and I see green for miles. An open meadow in the middle of what seems like no where. With wild flowers growing all around me. The trees outlining the giant patch of grass. Every color of green being represented at once. With bright blue skies shining above me. Dressed in a beautiful gown that flows gently with every gust of wind. I find myself laying down, feeling each piece of grass that lay beneath me. Admiring the beauty that surrounds me. Each detail that went into the creation that surrounds me. How beautiful are the trees that are producing fruit, and the flowers growing amongst the field? Joy overtakes my body and I began to dance. Frolicking through the tall grass. Swaying my hand across the top of each piece as I run past. Spinning and twirling in this dress that feels as if it were made specifically for me. As I enjoy this moment I hear a voice call out to me, “come and dine with me”. I look over and see a man preparing a table in this field. With seats made for a king. Made from velvet with fine detailing. The color yellow fills the table. Strings of eucalyptus and lavender line the ends. And a sunflower set at the seat I belong in. Every part of the table intentionally set with my heart in mind. The king pulls my chair out for me. And we dine together. As a dove flies above carrying an olive branch in its mouth. I now know that this is rest. This is peace. This is the Father dwelling. This is deep love. This is freedom. This is dancing. This is joy.
A vision Abba gave me while in Costa Rica. In a time where I was filled with feeling like I needed to know everything. Feeling like I had to have everything figured out. Holding myself to impossible standards. Attempting to carry everything on my own. Allowing anxious thoughts control my mind.
I started off my time in Costa Rica with the Lord asking me to dance with Him. Wondering what that even meant. Thinking how silly it would be to dance alone during worship. Afraid of what others around me might think. I realized I got into a habit of holding in joy out of fear of what I may look like on the outside. Then the Lord walked me through this vision in the meadow. One of my last days in Costa Rica my base staff painted me a picture. It’s of a meadow, and it has fireflies. There’s a word painted on it that reads “abundance”. Just like that, with dance underlined. She made it a point to tell my that in the picture the specs of light were lightning bugs and not stars. Flash forward to our week at debrief. I’m experiencing so much freedom. Realizing how much fear had been holding me back before. Sweet Abba breaking so many shackles that I didn’t even realize were keeping me stagnant. One night I look to my teammates and tell them “I feel so much joy, I could dance!” What a break through from the first time the Lord brought up dancing. As I continue walking fireflies began to light up in the garden! How BEAUTIFUL? How INTENTIONAL? The full picture of freedom. An abundance of freedom. From finding rest in the meadow. Seeing that the Lord had set the table, the Lord had made the trees produce fruit, and he’s the one that gave the flowers what they needed to grow. All I had to do was dance and rest there. This is freedom! Resting in the Lord is freedom! Letting go of what’s not yours to hold is freedom! Fear is a LIAR!!
What does freedom look like for you?
