Freedom

"Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance...
I just want to praise you, I just want to praise you"

I love that song. It is about freedom. Even as I type the word- freedom-something happens in my heart.... my lungs swell, my pulse races, and a great sense of relief comes over me. There was a time in my not so distant past, that I knew only the dictionary meaning of this word, but not the experiential meaning of freedom. In my 20's and early 30's, I was shackled by so many chains, it is a wonder they were not visible. I was consumed by feelings of guilt, shame and fear. I desperately sought others approval to somehow compensate for my own feeling of inadequacy. This need to be "liked" or the "center of attention" became yet another shackle around my feet. To beat all, I strove to portray the image of a young woman that was confident, Godly, and "put together". Trying to live this way entangled me in more chains. Inwardly, I was a mess.

"But God".

God stepped in and drew me to Himself. Through the in-depth study of His Word, He began to open my eyes to the prisons and pits that I was living in. He graciously showed me my weaknesses and allowed me to experience His power. Slowly and deliberately, He worked with me to set me free. Free to love Him and others, free to be who He created me to be, free to dream of how He could use me for His glory, free to be transparent, free to share with others how good He really is.

Last Saturday was a celebration for me personally. I, along with 230 other women, attended the Beth Moore simulcast at the BX. The simulcast was shown throughout North America at 500 different sites with an expected attendance of 150,000 women. That's HUGE! Beth talked about freedom in Christ. She shared so much of what I already knew, but needed to be reminded of . Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free". Jesus sacrificial death not only pays our sin debt when we die, but as we live. It is through His blood that we are set free to live victoriously and abundantly. Wow!

Throughout the conference, worship was led by Travis Cottrell. He said something that has come back to my mind countless times this week... He said, "We sing over and over 'How great is our God', well ladies, how great do you need God to be in your life?"

I don't know about you, but I need Him to be as Great as He can be. My freedom depends upon Him. And what brings tears to my eyes is the fact that He has never let me down. He truly is, "my strength, my rock, my fortress and my rock... He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold". (Ps. 18)

As I finish writing this, I am searching my i-tunes for just the right song... I feel the need to dance.

-Ruthie