Freedom...

I have a cousin who has many things in common with me.  We grew up in the same town, attend the same church, and we share a lot of happy memories of time spent together with our extended family.   But he also differs from me in many ways.  He is a man, I am a woman.  He has never married and has no children, I have been married twice and have two children and a grandchild.  I go to work every day, he is retired.  He is very conservative, I am an independent with liberal leanings.

I am grateful to live in a country where differences are embraced, even when we disagree.  I am even more grateful that the cousin who is so different from me was willing to risk his life for the freedom I enjoy.  At great personal cost, he has ensured that I am able to disagree with him, openly and without fear.  What a gift he has given, not only to me, but to all of us.

Living in the United States, we take for granted the right to criticize our government.  It is a simple matter of turning on the news to see what the alternative looks like.  Refugees are fleeing countries where that is not a right by the thousands, giving up everything they have and hold dear, in order to live free from fear.

That is what freedom really is.  It is not about what we have.  It is about what we are free from.

Jesus ransomed our souls with his death and resurrection to free us from the consequences of our own sinful natures.  We are free of the worry of just penalty because of the price he paid.  

Today, I am grateful to live in a country where I am free from religious persecution.  I am able to worship as I choose, write this blog proclaiming my Christian faith every day, wear a cross openly and without fear, because men like my cousin were willing to risk their lives for my right to do so.

I am grateful to live in a country where I can criticize every action the government takes.  I can attend meetings, write to the paper, blog, post on facebook, and talk to friends and family, entirely without fear of the consequences of my openly held views.  I am grateful to my cousin, all my other relatives, and all others who have served our country so faithfully and so well.  They have given me the freedom to sit in my warm house and express myself however I choose, whenever I choose, without fear of retaliation.

It is easy to take our freedom for granted when we have known no other way of life.  But as the old saying goes, freedom is not free.  Whether it is our personal freedoms, or our eternal salvation, it was purchased at great price through the gracious goodness of someone else's sacrifice.  That is the greatest gift of all, and I am grateful every single day.