Rain....and Freedom

It's not raining. It's been gorgeous weather here in South Carolina. The rains are coming in this friday, though, according to weather.com. If you've been following my blog, you've noticed that certain themes keep coming back up. You know about the lions. You know about new life springing up. You know about my journey toward healing. And you also know about rain.

And like i said--it's not raining in the physical realm today. But it is in the spiritual realm. Let me explain a little bit. I received some difficult news this week--it was a tough pill to swallow. Doesn't really matter what it was--because we've all been there. Life catches us off guard and it feels like the wind has been knocked out of us. Yep. It's not pretty. But that's when the Lord comes in and rains down on us--he envelops us with his strength (re: strength of a lion). He rains down mercy and grace down onto us. He captivates us. He saves us. Hosanna!

So, grace and mercy have been showered down on me. Even before i received this news on monday--He was preparing me for it with my experience on sunday morning. He cares that much. But something else has been showered down on me. I keep hearing the word freedom.

Freedom from the chains that have bound my soul. Freedom from the heartache. Oh the heartache. Freedom from the past--freedom to step into a future. Freedom from shame. Freedom to hope. Freedom to dream. Freedom from doubt...from fear. Freedom to be who i was created to be. Freedom to dance in His showers of mercy and love and grace. I'm overwhelmed by grace just as i'm writing these words.

Sweet rain.

New life springs up from the rain.

Excuse my play on words here, but it's important to notice this....freedom reigns. Now and always.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up;

do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.