A couple of days ago we celebrated America’s 237th birthday.  The fourth of July stands as a symbol of our forefathers long hard road in the pursuit of freedom and a better future for their descendants.

Now, two and a half centuries later I am reaping the benefits of their simple act of revolt, daily freedom.  Within America’s borders I can worship how I want, marry whatever man I want, dress how I want, say (generally) what I want and it goes on and on.  Simple freedoms that many nations still don’t enjoy.

But as I stood outside that night, surrounded by incredible firework shows, there was an even greater freedom I reflected on, the freedom I gained this past year.

When I left on the World Race a year ago I was heavy, burdened, tied down.  I struggled with feelings of inadequacy and of loneliness.  I could never do enough, be enough.

But that was my problem.

It took awhile, months and months and months to be exact, but I finally grasped the truth.  I would never be enough and I can never do enough, because Christ has to be enough.  There is no word in the english language to describe how truly big God is, but to try to grasp it into our human terms, he IS enough, and that’s huge!  He can cap off every hole, dry every tear, fill every lonely night.

But just the fact that he is enough isn’t the whole picture.  We have to let him be enough or we’ll never see it.  It’s not that he isn’t there, it’s that we’re blind.  We’re consumed.  I know I was.

It was so much easier to wallow in self-pity than to let God fill me up and walk me down the often difficult road of my life.  But let me tell you, when I finally gave it up, shouting my declarations into the waves of the Indian Ocean it was like an Elephant had been lifted off my chest.

I was truly free for the first time in my life.

So as we celebrated America’s birthday the symbol of freedom had a whole new meaning to me and God gave me a gentle reminder of his love for me in a gorgeous way, literally thousands of fireworks.  I’m one lucky girl.  Soy libre!