To Be Set Free

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10)

     Through the cross, we have been given freedom. Sin has no dominion over us and there is no bondage to death any longer. Through the cross, God has shown us mercy and grace; we have experienced the sweetest of love. Jesus died for our lies, addictions, envy. Because Jesus died on the cross, we are now able to experience His intended freedom for our lives.
     When I accepted Christ, I had tons of junk in my life, I still do, and the most comforting knowledge of the gospel for me was that I didn't have to clean myself up for Him. He wanted me in the damaged condition I was in right at that moment. Years since then, I'm still damaged. There's still parts of my life God is chiseling away to create me into the masterpiece he planned for me long ago, but I must allow that chiseling.
     When I accepted Christ and began my walk with the Lord, I did it because of the perks I heard on my end, to be accepted and holy and blameless. As I find myself being continuously chiseled into God's masterpiece, I sometimes see myself hiding certain sins. If being holy means giving up that sin, I can wait, I kind of like living in that part of the world. But as it turns out, if we're not running towards God, we're running away from Him. One of the perks of following Christ is being made new. When we're brought to God in our sin, we're just a block of stone.
      Michelangelo was an Italian artist during the Renaissance. One of his most notable works was David, a 17-foot tall, 6-ton statue that took him three years to complete.
     Michelangelo is quoted, saying something like, "I saw the angel in the block of marble and carved until I set him free." And when he was asked how he made the statue of David, he said, "It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn't look like David."
     For we are God's masterpiece. We are the David to His Michelangelo, and when God sees us in the block of stone, He sees the masterpiece He planned long ago that He desires to set free.

I should've listened to Kerri Welch

     This weekend I went back home. I knew it was a risk with the supposed winter storm coming our way, but I knew this would be my last time home until Easter, so I figured I better swing by. All week I've been thinking about what the weather was going to be like from Springfield to Blue Springs on Friday and from Blue Springs to Springfield on Sunday. Friday was fine, but when it came for me to leave on Sunday, I can't say the same.
     After church my family went to lunch where he told me he would not allow me to drive back to school today. I assured him I'd be fine and I have to get back for class tomorrow, I have a huge test and I need to be prepared. He did the same thing he always does when I'm about to leave home; check my oil, fill my gas, clean my windows, and disappear with my car the last 30 minutes I'm home. I have no idea where he goes during that time, I think it's just a ploy to get me to stay longer.
     Anyway, I get ready to leave Blue Springs and the roads are fine. I make it through Lee's Summit and Harrisonville perfectly and start my journey on 13 Highway. This stretch of my trip is 2 hours. That's my first checkpoint. I know once I get on 13, I'll only need to make two more turns before I'm in my driveway back in Springfield.
     Once I get on 13, my next checkpoint is Clinton. When I make it to Clinton, I know I'm halfway there, just an hour and a half more. Somewhere between Harrisonville and Clinton, the roads get bad. I have to reduce my normally 65 mph speed to about 30. During this time, I'm leading a pack of about 5 cars, including a semi truck. The roads rough and I know I'm driving on sheets of ice, but I think I'm safe because I'm still driving under 45. All of a sudden, my wheel turns left after I direct it right. Then right when I'm turning left. I turn my head around into the direction I should be going and I end up in a ditch.
     Now, the last time I was in a car accident, I grounded myself for 3 months from driving and sat in Kerri Welch's living room while she played counselor to me until I was able to talk about my last experience behind the wheel. All of those feelings were coming back, but this time, I didn't have the option to call someone and pick me up, I have 2 hours from either direction to a familiar face.
I start to ask myself where I'm even going.
     Stuck in the ditch, I drive my way out and proceed the next 100 miles with my sweaty palms slipping from "10 and 2" and my seatbelt on and my drivers seat reclined up to a 90 degree angle. All the cars I was leading are now ahead of me.
     At this point, I'm starting to question my trip. I only have one class tomorrow, I could've skipped, this drive is awful and I'm starting to feel queasy. My stomach was in knots and this road was lonely. About 30 minutes later, I make it to Clinton, another checkpoint. I'm halfway there. Another 30 minutes pass and I get a phone call from my roommates. They exclaim we don't have class tomorrow. I hang up the phone and wonder, what's even the point of this trip?

     Enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only few find it (Matthew 7:13&14).

     This trip was no longer a means to class, it was a trip towards home. I redirected my focus, put my blinders on and only looked at the road right ahead of me. There were times I had to follow the cars ahead of me. I slowed to their speed, I stayed in their lane, but when they exited the highway, I was back to my time alone.
     There is one more checkpoint in my trip, it's these crappy lawyer billboards that tell me I'm 5 miles away from Springfield's city limits. The road from Clinton to these billboards weren't much easier, but each mile got me closer to my apartment in Springfield. I came over a hill and saw the billboard of that lawyer shaking hands with some elderly couple and knew I was that much closer. You couldn't believe the peace I experienced when I saw that.
     Sometimes, we have to fall in a ditch to get redirected, sometimes we have to follow people ahead of us. Sometimes, we have to slow down, take a breath and reevaluate our destination.