No Chains

Riding a bike is hard work, especially when the chain comes off. I have spent the last several months conditioning myself to be able to ride long distances on my bike. It has been precious time with the Lord to mount up on wings and to find myself plugged into His praises in my ears, to hear His voice and to just get into a rhythm and ride. I was doing just that on Tuesday of this week, when I got about a mile from my house and the chain fell off my bike. Now, I may ride a bike, but I know little about fixing a bike. So, I had a dilemma. I had to figure out what to do with this chain. My pedal had gotten caught in one of the links and I was going to have to get it untangled as well as determine how to get it back on the sprocket. (is that the right word? Not sure-perhaps it is called a derailer. I think that is it.) I pulled off to the side of the road and began to work on the chain. That is when it hit me. I was going to get greasy. And yes, I am a girl. Trying to fix a chain while attempting to keep my hands clean was not going to happen and I was not at all happy about the mess that was being made. I struggled with the chain, unleashing it from my pedal and then trying to get it back on track. I tugged and pulled, but it would not stretch. It was off and I didn’t know how to get it back on. Finally, I realized that pulled in the right direction, I could stretch it to get it back on track. Bike fixed, I loaded up to finish my ride, except now, my hands are really yucky. Too bad, I would have to ride with dirty hands.
It was then it hit me. A truth that I think I had somehow missed, yet was invaluable when it finally took root. It was a truth that though I have prayed for to be a reality in my life that I had not seen. My eyes had been waxed over to its pertinent application.
For months, I have been praying for freedom from the chains that bind me-us. I have been crying out to God to strip anything that would keep me from my journey with Him and would allow me to go in a direction that was not of Him. But when He strips the chains that bind us, it may not be a pretty sight. Sometimes, I think we think that when the chains come off there will be this beautiful freedom and no dirt or grime, grease or stains. But instead, when the chains come off, there is often a mess. Stains from what has been and work to be done to get back on track. And when we reach down with our hands to free the chain or set things right, we are going to get dirty. The question is not will Jesus us free us from our Chains. Most certainly, He will. The question is are we willing to get our hands dirty in the process and do the work. We can sing about our Chains being gone, but what do we do then? We get our hands dirty and then we get back on the bike and ride in the direction of freedom.

ALL FOR YOU