Embracing Freedom

While I'm here in C. Asia I've taken to running in the botanical gardens just down from the house I am staying in. It's 2 Somoni (about $0.40) for the entrance fee and in the morning it's me and the women who are sweeping the sidewalks clean. It's so beautiful. The air is fresh, I catch glimpses of the snow covered mountains around certain turns, peacocks wander freely and here I am, in my sweats and t-shirt, iPod with hip hop music pumping and I'm running....in C. Asia!

When I first moved to Taiwan from Af, everything seemed amazing. I could walk by myself. I could wear t-shirts. I could go out after dark. And so I did those things, I enjoyed them. I shared my excitement with others.

While I've been here, how could I not take advantage of the beauty and the freedom of being able to go running (btw, something I've NEVER done in C. Asia before so it was amazing!)

I've been studying the book of Hebrews to teach in the SBS when I get back. And I've been thinking about how often I take the gospel, the truth, my freedom in Christ for granted. It gets to be the same ol', same ol' thing. The readers of Hebrews were willing to throw their freedom away to go back to the law because it looked a little easier, a little less taxing on their day to day lives. But, they have beauty and freedom and hope at their fingertips. The grace and mercy of God.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."(Gal. 5:1)
It's possible to walk away from freedom. It's possible for me to sit in the house, thinking how great it would be to run in a beautiful park but too scared to really step out and do it. It's possible for me to hold back from living free in Christ, submitting to a bunch of "shoulds" or "shouldn'ts"....it's possible to have the truth and never fully embrace it in my life.

Oh that we may live free in Christ, embracing our identity as ones who are loved and redeemed, freely sharing how amazing that freedom is with others.