Freedom To Be

This was my second 4th of July as a citizen of this great country. I suspect that statement alone will cause many of you who know me to sit up and pay attention. Because I look like and probably sound like I always belonged in America.

Well, like the adopted child is sometimes more special to the adoptive parents because they chose that child, I, too, am an adopted child, but I got to choose my country. Originally born in Canada, I came to the US 12 years ago and married my love, Patrick.

There were many times I've felt like a red-headed step-child -- there, but not really belonging. And the struggle to Become wasn't easy. Some day, ask me to share the story with you over a large cup of coffee.

But all along I knew I was supposed to be here, in America, with Patrick. And that's what kept me going when all around me the devil was telling me no.

The 4th of July reminds me of the struggles and battles for freedom that have gone on in this country for 235 years. The fireworks reminds me of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, and did it gladly, without reservation. The parties remind me that we need to celebrate our freedom every single day, not just one hot day in July.

And all of this leads me to remember who paid the ultimate price for our eternal freedom -- Jesus Christ. Were it not for Him, many of us wouldn't be here.

And I'm one of those.

You see, before I was a Christian, before I was a writer, before I was an American, I lived a life that many others didn't survive. And as I went through the citizenship process, I realized many things I'd done in my past should have either landed me in prison or dead. And the Lord saved me from myself for this time. As a result of my past, I write the kinds of stories I write -- a little sassy, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes dark and edgy, sometimes soft and cozy.

As you celebrate our country's birthday, as you think about freedom, consider those things in your past that prepared you for where you are today. Thank God for your past, and ask Him how you can turn that into something productive today and for the future. Allow Him to use your mistakes to deepen your writing, sharpen your characters, and strengthen your plots.

Ask God for the freedom to be what He planned for you to be.

As for me, I have no doubt I was destined to be an American. Even as a little girl, I used to look at the map or watch planes flying overhead, and wonder why my ancestors stopped when they got to Newfoundland. The winters are long, the countryside is rugged, the ground is rocky, and the summers are a flash in the pan. I often said, "Why didn't they stay on the boat for another few hundred miles?" Even as a child, I wanted to be an American.

And now God, through His grace, has given me the freedom to be -- an American, a Christian, and a writer. How cool to belong to American Christian Fiction Writers -- a group that confirms who I was long before I Became.

God bless the USA, and God bless each of you.

Jubilee

Golden showers burst over our heads as my family and I lay on a blanket, watching the brilliance of fireworks in the night sky. The bursts and sparkles were choreographed to a beautiful rendition of "God bless America." My husband sang along softly, sending a prayer for God's favor on our nation even as I fought a big lump in my throat. Thoughts of freedom, jubilation, and sacrifice sang through my mind and tears pricked my eyes even I whooped and hollered and celebrated.

In ancient Israel every half-century was declared a year of jubilee. Debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned to original owners. Across the nation ram's horn were blown and families celebrated as their children and inheritance were returned to them.

In a spiritual sense we, as Christians, have been given a constant state of jubilee. Thanks to all Christ accomplished at the Cross, we are free and forgiven--our sin debts cancelled and our inheritance established. Every day we have something to celebrate--to whoop and holler and blow our horns about.

Because of Jesus' great sacrifice, we are invited to live as the children of God. We're part of the family. Never rejected. Always in the presence of the Holy One. Every single day we walk in freedom from sin and eternal damnation. Every moment of our lives we are connected to the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and He empowers us to walk in our inheritance of grace and prepares us for the glory of eternity with our God.

But do we live each day as if this is true?

Several years ago I came into a new understanding of all the cross had done for me. Though I had accepted Jesus into my life at a young age, I lived a life of egg shell walking--trying desperately to do everything right and never feeling I "lived up." A cloud of condemnation hung over me, and I was captive to self-inflicted guilt, inadequacy, and unworthiness. God's love and grace would break through on occasion, but I would quickly snuff it out in self-rejection as I allowed the opinion of others, or my own unrealistic set of expectations to determine how I saw myself. Scripture was a hand-book to discern how to be better and a measuring stick of my failures. I was imprisoned by my need to perform well.

Through a series of events God revealed Truth to me. The walk of faith wasn't so much about what I had achieved as it was about all Jesus had already achieved for me. Any good deed I did was filthy rags compared to the perfection of Jesus, but the Good News was He placed His righteousness over me like a brand new robe. I began to be clothed in HIS identity. I started to see myself as free to live outside the guilt--to be believe I was forgiven, treasured, bought-with-a price, and empowered to serve.

Early in this journey, after a particularly enlightening experience, I awoke to the Lord's Voice. He said, "It is for freedom I have set you free."

I recognized His Words as Scripture and quickly went to my Bible, hungry to know the rest of the verse. I found it in Galatians 5:1. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (NIV)

I thought about the verse and how it was so important to the LORD for me to know and remember its Truth that He actually spoke directly to me about it. I realized that the enemy would try to take away this new-found freedom. Through the words and actions of others, through my own failing and success, and through difficult circumstances, the evil one would seek to entice me back into the spiritual prison I'd locked myself it. He wanted to keep me a slave to inadequacy, failure, guilt, and performance-driven behavior.

But God's jubilee had come! I was free to live as my Father's beloved! I was free to believe that I was wholly accepted and wholly loved. I was free to walk without shame . . . in jubilant, beautiful freedom. This was my jubilee. Though Jesus has secured my inheritance over 2,000 years before, I finally accepted the right to live as a free woman.

This July, consider the concept of jubilee. Jesus returned to you your full inheritance as God's child. Have you given yourself permission to be free to receive it?

(By the way, I'll be sharing a little more about this at the More Than Conquerors Encouragement Series in Aurora on July 27th. If you'd like more information, email me: Paula@soulscents.us)

A writer, speaker, and homeschooling mother of four, Paula Moldenhauer is passionate about God’s grace and intimacy with Jesus. Her website, Soul Scents, offers devotional thoughts, and you can visit her blog at GraceReign. Paula serves as president of HIS Writers, the north Denver ACFW chapter. A devoted Pride and Prejudice fan, she loves good conversation, peppermint ice cream, and walking barefoot. Her greatest desire is to be close enough to Jesus to breathe His fragrance.

Fireworks photo taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7862527@N02/2520923912, The 2008 World Pyro Olympics in Manila, the Philippines.