TOTAL FREEDOM

TOTAL FREEDOM 

There was a really cute children’s movie some years ago featuring Jimmy Neutron.

Jimmy was a genius. He invented wonderful things usually to solve tight situations, which he and his friends got into.  In this film, aliens come in the night and kidnap all the adults leaving the kids alone on their planet.  At first, this doesn’t look like a bad thing at all. No parents? No problem.  My favorite scene is when a little boy runs out on the street and dancing around sings, “I’m out in public and my clothes don’t match! I’m out in public and my clothes don’t match!”  We can all relate to the euphoria brought on by sudden freedom. Who hasn’t wished for total freedom at least once?  

Thing is, as the kids on the parentless-planet discovered quickly, freedom comes with some severe drawbacks.  For the kids it was no cooks, no drivers, no one to keep the peace, no nurses, and no direction. They soon banded together with Jimmy leading, to find their parents and bring them home.  

The Israelites leaving Egypt felt that joy, but it was short-lived when the hardships of life wandering on unknown terrain sunk in.  It wasn’t long before they began to complain and even to wish they were back in Egypt!   Their joy faded and they lost hope and began to blame Moses for everything. It was at that point that God gave Moses the Commandments.  

What was it that gave them the strength to carry on?  Was it the Commandments themselves or the order they brought, or was it simply the hope that their journey was not in vain because there was proof that God was with them?  It was that. It was also the return of their trust that God was guiding Moses. 

The children in the film banded together with hope that they could find their parents and trust that Jimmy would find a way.  Both groups were right.  

Those are the pillars of strength of those who follow Christ.  Hope is precious. Hope should never be denied and if hope fails, we all fail. When Jesus died, his followers were left with nothing but hope.  They did not deny it. They stayed in Jerusalem even though it was dangerous.  It was hope that kept them going, and trust in Christ’s promises gave them strength. I daresay that during those terrible hours they talked of those promises and drew strength from their memories of Christ and the evidence of his power they had witnessed.  

Those are our strengths as well and part of our ministry as His followers is to build hope and trust in Christ in others.  We have to fight the tendency to give up hope.  We have to renew daily our trust that God is surely with us.  We have to show a positive attitude, look for the good in others and above all keep Christ in our hearts. 

Freedom from fear and doubt is the reward. 

Blessings, 

Carol Lemelin OPA