I realized that we as humans do not have to be incarcerated to be in prison. This thought crossed my mind as I was called this last week by my Aunt Reva who is 93 years old and told my cousins to get me over to her home to pray over her. So as I was sitting by her hospital bed in her room I performed the Last Rite from the Book of Common Prayer and added some of my own prayers along with the ancient ones with Holy Oil. I saw a woman who loved living life and loved people and was always on the go now she seemed trapped by her failing, human, aging body. She was imprisoned by her body and her eyes looked at me like she was saying, "Free me, oh free me, for the love of God free me. I want to get up and move around again and go places, please free me." At that moment I realized she was imprisoned. Soon She will be called home by the Father in Heaven where she will be young and free again and free forevermore.
There are people imprisoned by their minds. Mental Illness imprisons many and it can be an awful nightmare for them and their loved ones. At times medicine can loosen the shackles and provide for minimum security while others require full-time care in a maximum security type of institutionalism. But who is really free?
We imprison ourselves with fears. I have a profound fear of big dogs that can paralyze me. It keeps me ever vigilant whenever I go some were never knowing if a big dog will appear and bite me. If one is around it is hard to relax and enjoy where I am at. So at times I feel imprisoned by this fear.
Humanity can imprison themselves with bad habits or addictions that can make a person a prisoner of whatever habit or addiction they may have like drugs, alcohol, smoking, and pornography to name a few. The habits of people-pleasing can be another vicious one also.
But we can hand over these prisons to Jesus and let Him help us. To what extent He will help us is left to His own wisdom and He may also use others to help with the process. Between the human and divine, the Great Physician can help in many different ways and we can be a part of that process of releasing people from the prison they find themselves in. May we be open to being the hands and feet of our Lord.
The greatest prison that Jesus Christ released us from is the prison of sin. Loving us enough to leave Heaven and come in human form and redeem us and resurrect us back into a harmonious relationship with the Holy Trinity.
There are people imprisoned by their minds. Mental Illness imprisons many and it can be an awful nightmare for them and their loved ones. At times medicine can loosen the shackles and provide for minimum security while others require full-time care in a maximum security type of institutionalism. But who is really free?
We imprison ourselves with fears. I have a profound fear of big dogs that can paralyze me. It keeps me ever vigilant whenever I go some were never knowing if a big dog will appear and bite me. If one is around it is hard to relax and enjoy where I am at. So at times I feel imprisoned by this fear.
Humanity can imprison themselves with bad habits or addictions that can make a person a prisoner of whatever habit or addiction they may have like drugs, alcohol, smoking, and pornography to name a few. The habits of people-pleasing can be another vicious one also.
But we can hand over these prisons to Jesus and let Him help us. To what extent He will help us is left to His own wisdom and He may also use others to help with the process. Between the human and divine, the Great Physician can help in many different ways and we can be a part of that process of releasing people from the prison they find themselves in. May we be open to being the hands and feet of our Lord.
The greatest prison that Jesus Christ released us from is the prison of sin. Loving us enough to leave Heaven and come in human form and redeem us and resurrect us back into a harmonious relationship with the Holy Trinity.
2 Corinthians 3:17Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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Be kind and gracious.