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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…. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:1 & 13)
               Raise your fist and chant with me, “Free…dom….free…dom….free…dom.” We all want to be free. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” You remember those inalienable rights, don’t you? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s amazing how quickly we go from canting about our freedom to taking away the freedom of others, but that’s not the issue of the day. At least, not the main idea.
                Since I was sixteen, there have been perhaps two years when I wasn’t either in school or employed. There were a couple summers during college, and the times between leaving school or one place of employment and starting another. They tended to be stressful. Quite a few of my vacations when I was employed were spent in pursuit of a hobby that I treated just like work. My last job was around the clock. 
                I don’t mean this to sound crass, but right now, I’m sort of free. Maybe not entirely free, because I have the executor’s tasks to carry out, and the household and myself to care for, an agent to find, novels and non-fiction books to write, but I’m comparatively free. I can now make decisions about my life that I didn’t feel free to make before. 
                Because of that, the subject of freedom is a big one at the moment. How am I going to use my freedom? In Sunday School this morning, I found out about some things going on at church. There are things going on in the community in which I could finally take part. I could easily fill my days with activities. I could easily find more places to spend or donate money than I have money to spend or donate. In other words, in my freedom, I could destroy my freedom. 
                I could get involved in things that aren’t good for me. In my freedom, I could destroy myself.
                I’ve read about people released from prison who committed crimes so they could go back to prison, because they couldn’t handle their freedom. I remember Mom being concerned that when Dad retired, he wouldn’t handle freedom well, and I think she was right.

                Last night, I reached the conclusion – again – that now is a time of huge transition. There are things that may be temporary choices, and things that will be long-term choices. But each choice both reduces freedom and expands it. It’s not just about what I want to do, it’s about what is the best way for me to do. 
                Paul says that we’re called to be free. One of my concerns at the moment is avoiding a job that takes away my freedom – takes all my time and demands all my attention. I have been a slave. I don’t want to be one again. At the same time, a job will provide the freedom of a cash flow. And the choices I make about the rest of my life? The same idea applies. What can I choose that fits who and what I want to be, not just the whims of the flesh in the moment? How can I be free, yet serve?
                Curiously, I’m finding that at least part of it involves saying “No,” or “No, thank you,” to myself and to others.

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