When Freedom is Not Enough

My daughter and I had our purity weekend last week. It was the weekend for my daughter to learn about the birds and the bees and to make decisions and commitments about dating, little did I know that I was in for a lesson as well. You see one of the activities in the Passport to Purity curriculum is a little bit of free time in which you are encouraged to do something special. I left it up to KT and she wanted to go to the mall ... the mall of all malls ... Scottsdale Fashion Square. I had not been there in years and it was a little overwhelming for me ... and thankfully for my daughter as well. I am afraid that the stores were just a little beyond what we are used to in the land of Target and Kohl's. Everything was so glitzy and full of bling. The store fronts are extravagant and strategically showcase the treasures that the store has to offer those who are on a mission to buy. One such store was Dolce & Gabbana. I could not help but stop to look at their showcasing of their handbags. I should have taken a picture. I have contemplated driving the 40 minutes to do so ... as a picture is worth a thousand words, but I will try to describe the sight as best I can in as few words as I can.

Imagine if you will huge ceiling to floor windows that reveal gleaming golden birdcages ... showcased in soft lit spotlights from both above and below. Endless, seamless panels of a deep cranberry satin fall ever so gently in the background. Within each birdcage, safely locked inside, was a Dolce&Gabbana handbag. Secure, safe, contained, and protected. Each birdcage also had a 6" golden perch that started on one of the bars and was completely outside the birdcage. Upon each of the non-enclosed perches sat a completely free bird. OK ... fake bird, but the imagery was not lost on me. Because in that crowded mall, I knew that this was a perfect representation of the world.

You see we are so very much like those birds ... so captivated by the bondage of the world that we sometimes fail to realize or even care that we are really free. There is nothing really holding us there, but our own inability to let go of the perch, spread our wings, and fly. Instead, we sit captivated by whatever is really within the cage ... the bondage that is wrapped up in a gilded cage just for us ...tailored to our weaknesses. For some the bondage is business, for others it is alcohol, still others gossip, insecurity, shopping, relationships, forgiveness, pride, worship, church, serving ... the list can go on and on and on because it can include anything that becomes more important to us than the One that we are serving. My heart felt so heavy standing there taking in the image. I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of choosing to sit in bondage. For me, it comes in the form of busyness and insecurity. Looking at the store front, I could not help but hear my Father calling me to stretch my wings and fly.

Lisa