Little Freed One

Once there was a baby bird who began to grow...
This baby bird had wings but couldn’t use them yet.
Each day she would grow a little more.
She began to stretch her wings and practice moving them.
She dreamed with excitement about the day she could begin to learn to fly.
But there was a nasty chain maker that found her.
Religion was his name.
He hated flying birds and so he made chains.
The first chain that bound the little bird was a small almost harmless chain.
“No matter I can still learn to fly” thought the little bird.
But the next day there were more chains.
And the next more.
As the little bird grew more and more chains appeared.
When the day finally came that she was old enough to learn to fly she was to weighed down with the chains.
“One day I’ll still learn to fly!” she thought, “One day I’ll find away to loose these chains!!”
But Religion came and spoke sternly, lies, that gave the chains strength.
“You will never be free!! Freedom is dangerous!! You may have been given wings but you weren’t meant to use them!! How wicked you are to be so discontent! Shame on you!! What pride!!”
Hearing no other voice the little bird began to believe the lies Religion spoke.
“This must be my lot in life and I’m just going to have to except it. I don’t want to be a wicked bird. I want to be humble! I will give up my dreams of flight. I don’t deserve it any way, I have been so discontent. I should have been happy just to have a nice nest.”
So she cast her eyes down, so as not to see the wicked flying birds around her, and become discontent again.
But this little bird had a Maker and He saw her sad state.
His heart burned because He Made her to fly and wanted her to use her beautiful wings.
He saw her heart and how she longed to sore, He made the desire, she wasn’t wicked.
One day when the time was just right the Maker came close and started speaking truth.
Soft lovely whispers in the wind, He knew He must be gentle for the little bird thought the Maker was angry with her.
But he wasn’t. Oh, He wasn’t angry and she was about to learn it!
She heard the whispers of truth, telling her her Maker wasn’t angry or disappointed.
Soon she began to believe it...
Day after day the Good Maker whispered more and more truth of His love and delight in her.
He told her of her value and how good of a job He had done when making her.
Every time she choose to believe one of the truthful whispers a chain would break until one day..
She finally believed the Maker was good and loved her madly.
Then before she knew it He was standing before her.
Her down cast eyes for the first time since she was young found strength to look up.
When her eyes met His for the first time the delight He had for her over flowed from His eyes and poured down in to her’s.
The lovely healing delight penetrated her mind, and heart and went deep in to her hurting soul healing, soothing, and giving new life.
All the damage done by Religions chains was undone and repaired back to and better than fullness.
Once delight had done it’s first healing cleanse of her being The Maker spoke her name and said to her.
“My dear One look all the chains are gone and can never hold you again. You are free, fly in my delight!”
She began to weep with relief but at the same time was filled with such joy that her never before used wings found strength.
She bent her legs, lifted her wings and with one smooth motion she took off with perfect form.
She was made for this!!
The more she flew the more she felt her Makers delight the more she loved Him the more she trusted that she had been made for this, the more she knew He was good.
So began her new life of freedom and flight.
Everyday as she soared through the air Her Maker would join her and as she lived with His constant delight listening to truth from His lips every day she became stronger, wiser, and more beautiful.
All the damage Religion had done didn’t even compare to the wholeness and fullness of truth’s work in her.
Little bird you are free.
Little bird you are me.

And they did it all wrong...

And they did it all wrong...
But they loved, they sat at His feet when I still felt ashamed. How could they be so bold?
They did it all wrong,
But they trusted and obeyed.
They did it all wrong,
But their faith unlike mine spoke for it’s self. They were more bold than me and the people I knew who did it all right.
They did it all wrong,
But they saw more miracles than I ever thought possible.
They did it all wrong,
But people were being loved.
They did it all wrong,
But they brought in more lost sons and daughters than any of the ones I knew who were doing it right.
They did it all wrong,
But they had more life, joy and adventure than anyone I knew.
They did it all wrong,
But they saw more of heaven on earth in a day than I ever hoped to.
They did it all wrong,
But they knew Jesus and spoke of his face in a way that I knew meant they had seen it.
They did it all wrong,
But they didn’t seem to know, and if they did they didn’t care.
Maybe I was the one who was really wrong.....