“Press in” – “Pour into” – “Living in community” – “Let’s process that” – “Honor where you’re at” – “All the things”
The World Race has its own dialect of Christianese lingo. One phrase took hold of me from the first month, because it wasn’t only World Race people saying it.
People ALL AROUND THE WORLD say it!
“Be free.”
From our hosts in Serbia to Lesotho, from a synonym for “Make yourself at home” to “Take the lead in this church service,” this phrase has followed me for the past six months.
Within the first three weeks of being on the Race, before I knew this whole “Be free” phrase was waiting on everyone’s tongue, the Lord made it prominent in my mind. I was in Novi Sad, Serbia. I had taken the morning to “introvert out” and park myself on the balcony with my iPod, blanket, poofy jacket, and hot coffee. My iPod was on shuffle — all 4,457 songs. I just sat and listened, for a long time. Here’s a snippet from my journal entry that day:
“Then, in the middle of a freakin Dixie Chicks song, the Lord just says, ‘Be free.’ He showed me this picture of me standing in a pile of chains. He’s there watching as I try to wrap the handcuffs back around my wrists.
‘Silly girl, can’t you see you’re already free? You’re not in bondage like you think you are! DROP IT and come with me!’
He reminded me that I’m not granting myself the grace He’s already given me, like I’m saving the wrapped gift on the mantle until an occasion that will never come — because it’s already happened. So it’s just sitting there, gathering dust. In fact, He says, this gift of freedom is the most important thing you should’ve packed. It’s what this Race IS.
‘Can’t you see how much I love you? How much I want this for you? I picked you up and put you on another CONTINENT. Leave your inhibitions and BE. FREE. I’ve taken drastic measures for you, because that’s how much I care.’”
Fast forward four months, and I’m standing in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, signing up to bungee jump.
I have no idea why I’ve always said I want to bungee jump, because I don’t particularly like heights. I was reminded of this when I stepped onto Victoria Falls Bridge, standing 111 meters high on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, what moved me forward was a vision my friend prayed over me before I left the States: “You’re falling down this really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY big waterfall. You’re falling and flipping and completely terrified and overjoyed, all at once.” How ironic (not ironic) that I was visiting the second largest waterfall in the world.
This word picture encapsulates much of what the Lord has been moving me into throughout this year. Freedom from my own fearful, useless inhibitions to experience the thrill and euphoria of the freedom He has granted me in Christ.
Now DON’T YOU DARE allow those words to flow through your consciousness as more Christianese. Christ chose and endured the most significant relational separation possible (from the Father) for us to receive the gift of His presence, the freedom of His forgiveness. When we move past the “Jesus died so I can go to Heaven” bit and step into the “I am reconciled to God and the Holy Spirit lives IN me” bit, we realize there is endless depth of His character, joy, healing, and purpose that we get to live in!
THAT’S the freedom He’s given me, and teaching me to embrace.
THAT’S what I symbolically stepped into as I jumped headfirst into the abyss of the gorge.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
[Galatians 5:1]
Terrifying? Totally.
Worth it? Absolutely.
