Freedom

 ³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Tied in knots after a restless night, the deck beckons with a promise of freedom.

Memories haunted the dark hours, failures and faux pas, rejections and judgments from self and others for not having been good enough, not having done enough, never truly becoming the human soul I know that I am ... or could be ... and bring it to the light of day.

Knowing, too, there is so much less time, now, to become myself before my time is done.

All this I take to my chair as a faint breeze gentles the air stirring hope for a different knowing, one that soothes the battered soul and frees the heart to breathe. So, I pray.

Lord, you are ever near. May I know your loving presence in the breeze of dawn and in the mystery of this heart that I will never truly understand. But I know that you do. So I come here once again. Just to be with you.

With that, I read a verse, a story, and Jesus’ words carry me to faces from along ago. Souls who touched my own, even though I can barely remember a word they said because I was so young. What I recall is what it felt like to be with them.

And in the silence, comes the voice I came here to know. Yours. “Abide in me. Just be. Here. Listen. Say nothing. All I want is your presence. With me.”

All those faces were your own, weren’t they, Jesus? Each one, loving me. Each one, telling me who I am. Each one, silencing the night voices.

Each one speaking the Love, you are, the love that wants and invites me to come here and sink into your presence that you might untie the knots in my soul and set me free.

As you have, once again.

Pr. David L. Miller