Freedom

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” 

Galatians 5:1 (NIV).

The Great Escape, 2021

Willow charcoal on newsprint

18" x 24"

What’s cuter than a teeny-tiny plushy puppy? How about nine teeny-tiny plushy puppies! Just over three weeks ago, God blessed our family with an adorable litter of Spinone puppies. These fuzzy little bundles of joy are epitomes of cuteness …and a full-time job. Ask any mom and they will tell you that caring for a new baby is a tough gig! Our new little furry babies are no exception to this rule. You see, in addition to the round-the-clock care (that all new baby creatures need) these little guys have required bottle feeding since they were just two days old. This means that we are responsible for hand-feeding (and weighing) nine little ones, every three hours! No pressure or anything. 

There is no question that caring for nine new babies is an incredibly time and energy intensive endeavor. However, this hands-on perspective has given me a whole new appreciation for the thoughtfulness of God’s design.  

When puppies are born, they are unable to see or walk. That’s ok though, God has just the thing planned to help them grow - nursing. Mother’s milk contains much needed nutrients and antibodies, but the act of getting said milk is also a full body workout! Think of nursing like nature’s gym. Puppies flex and engage all their muscles to propel themselves forward towards Mom. Their little legs work over time to maneuver over, under, and in-between brothers and sisters ensuring a good seat at the “milk bar.” This can be quite the struggle since sharing is not really a thing for puppies. Once latched, the little guys then pump their front paws to massage the mammary glands and inspire the Dam (mom dog) to produce milk. In essence, they are doing tiny puppy reps with the muscles they will need to walk. It is a great system!

What’s more amazing is that God placed these instincts in them before birth! Puppies are born knowing that they need to push and pump and do little puppy reps. This instinct is so powerful, in fact, that it doesn’t go away with hand feeding. Even without their mom or siblings anywhere near them, puppies will still lunge and strive towards a dropper bottle that is just for them, while working the air with their little paws. And let me tell you, the puppy workout plan is no joke. At just one week old they were surprisingly strong! 

Here, at the three week mark, we are transitioning the puppies from milk to solid food (of sorts). All that exercise has paid off and the babies have grown by leaps and bounds! They are now running around like little dogs. Their eyes are fully opened and at every opportunity they attempt to escape and assert their freedom. 

I couldn’t help but consider the spiritual parallels as I witnessed this amazing growth and transformation. The Bible tells us that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3, Luke 4:4, Matthew 4:4 (NIV). The fact that this phrase pops up in three different books of the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, seems to indicate that God really wanted us to remember this concept. I believe this is because spending time in God’s Word is critical for our spiritual health and growth and God does not want us to be malnourished.

But it doesn’t stop at simple nourishment. We need the Word of God to sustain us, yes, however, it is through the action of seeking it that we are strengthened. Our spiritual muscles are being developed every time we seek to hear Him. Every time we open our Bible, and lean in, and actively try to listen to Him we are practicing our spiritual reps. The truth of God’s Word is our sustenance (our milk) and the action required to receive it is our workout.  

This workout, like all workouts requires time and effort. The puppies need to nurse every three hours in order to grow and thrive; it is not a “one-and-done” activity, it is a process. In the same way, we need to practice hearing from God making this a regular thing in our lives. Maybe not every three hours but hey, depending on the day, that might be exactly what you need. Just like the puppies work to get a good spot at the milk bar, we too must strive to set ourselves up in a good position to hear from Him; a quiet place where we can actually give Him our full attention. 

This spiritual exercise might sound like a lot of work but what we gain far outweighs the effort! The awesome reward we receive from this practice is the ability to understand and assert our freedom in Christ! When we lean in to listen to Him, and simultaneously push away the noise and distractions of life, we are training our spiritual muscles to walk with Him in the freedom that He has granted us! What workout goal could be better than that?! 

As I type these words to you, I realize God wants me to hear them too. I pray that you and I would become like the puppies; that in the process of pushing towards Him we would learn to walk with Him. I pray that we will remember to make time to practice being in His presence, on a regular basis, so that we may grow and become spiritually strong and healthy. May our eyes be fully opened so that we too can assert the freedom that we have in Him!