The Freedom of His Love

While sitting in my study preparing a message for Sunday I heard the fluttering of wings in the church auditorium.  As I walked down the rows of pews, I caught a glimpse of a sparrow flying frantically around the church.  Back and forth she flew from one set of windows to the other trying to escape her prison.  Apparently, the sparrow in attempting to build a nest under our window air conditioner had slipped through the opening under it and was now trapped in the church building.  The little bird, seeing the sky and grass out the large windows quickly flew towards what it thought was freedom.  Crash!  The bird hit the windowpane hard and fell to the floor.  After it recovered the bird flew to the other side of the church and crashed against another window.  I opened a door and tried to scare the bird outside to freedom, but this only increased her panic.  The more I tried to set her free the harder she threw herself against the pane.

Finally, after one particularly hard crash, I was able to capture the sparrow in my hands.  I seemed so light and helpless as I felt its tiny heart pulsating in my hands.  I then carried the little bird to the door and opened my hands.  It quickly spread its wings and soared away to freedom.

In our own search for freedom, we often bang our heads in our futile attempts. We restlessly flail about trying to find an opening that will allow us to spread our wings in freedom and fulfillment.  I have discovered that true freedom and genuine fulfillment is only found in the love of God.  1 John 4:9,10 tells us: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”.  We can receive this love when we place our restless beating heart into His powerful saving hands.  Only then can we be free as a bird.