freedom

June 30th, 2008 Tim Posted in SevenLakes Info |

(Nancy) July 4, 1972 A family of 4 moved from California to Houston. There were 2 daughters, Karen (10) and Laura (7 1/2).  After a couple of weeks in a hotel, they were ready to move into their house. The summer of ‘72 my best friend, Melissa, moved away. I had just turned 7 and my sister was 9. We lived on a suburban street off Kirkwood, off I-10, what was then at the western edge of the Houston map. Nearly all the homes on our street had kids and the few that didn’t tended to be surrogate parents or grandparents to the rest. The dads worked, the moms stayed home; moving away was unusual and divorce was nearly unheard of. We kids spent our summer days at the neighborhood pool, often coming home only for lunch and dinner. We spent our school night evenings roller skating, playing tag… as long as it was light and we stayed on our street. When conflicts arose, we generally managed them ourselves but we always knew parents were nearby if it was too big for us to handle. One day a moving van parked in front of Melissa’s old home, across the street and halfway down the block from my house.  My mom noticed there were new kids and sent me down alone to introduce myself. [”I don’t know what to say!” “Just tell them your friend had lived there and you’re glad they’re here. So I did.] That kind of freedom would be unheard of in most places today, but, in the context of our safe little street, it seemed to make sense. 

Thirty-six years later, Laura and I are still best friends! Tim and I and our kids just spent an idyllic week with Laura, Tom and their 3 boys (14, 11, 11) at her family’s vacation home in Oregon. That wonderful place, near Crater Lake, 8 miles from LaPine (pop 1585) and 30 miles from Bend (pop 75,000) is bordered by Deschutes National Forest. Their cabin has no land line phones, no TV, no street lights, no internet connection. What it does have is lots of wooded trails and pine trees and visible stars at night. There are deer and lakes and mountains. What we “lacked” in technology was made up by freedom. Our combined 5 kids and 3 dogs enjoyed a freedom they’re not used to in modern Katy, Texas and Sacramento, California. [Recently, in downtown Denver at night Tim and I, rightly, kept our 2 within a foot of us.] The kids were used to somewhat hovering parents and the dogs are used to leashes. We took many walks on trails near their cabin. Once we were away from the road, we unhooked the dogs’ leashes and let them (and the kids) explore. As long as they were moving in the same general direction as us and “checked in” periodically, all was well.

When the two families fulfilled our reservations for the make-your-own-pizza place and for the Deschutes Brewery tour in Bend, Oregon, we were referred to as “the nine.” [If you like good quality black coffee and dark chocolate and aren’t a big fan of hops, I highly recommend the Obsidian Stout.]

“The nine” visited the Lava Cave between LaPine and Bend. It’s a closed-end, mile-long tube formed by lava flow and it’s totally dark inside. We went on a weekday so it was neither busy nor desolate. After the first few yards, there were no signs it had been discovered before and no lights other than the lanterns or flashlights visitors carried. Arming the oldest kids with flashlights, we let the kids go on ahead. There was only one way in and out and the cave was no wider than 10-15 feet at the widest point. Travel would be impossible (or excruciatingly slow) without a light.

Another freedom our son enjoyed was being allowed to sleep in the twins’ room, as long as they stayed in the room and relatively quiet. One day, the 9 dressed in old clothes and water shoes, packed kayaks and picnic lunches and headed to a lake in the mountains. When we got there, Tom and Laura were embarrassed that there was too much snow to even get to the lake, much less picnic and boat. Instead our kids and dog had the time of their life playing in the snow. We have a photo of the nine, some in swimsuits, in front of the kayak-laden van with the snow all around and the mountain behind.

The Deschutes employees are allowed to enjoy 1 beer after each shift. Tom and Laura and Tim and I enjoyed a glass of wine or beer with our dinners while our younger kids played outside within earshot.

Before Tom and Laura bought this house, they had been seriously thinking and praying about buying a different cabin. The inspection revealed a foundation of cinder block that was not attached to the house. Needless to say, they started looking again. They never thought they would be blessed with a vacation home. Their gratitude has prompted them to share their blessing with youth groups and friends.

One might see “spiritual” symbolism in this story of freedom within structure of the neighborhood street, wooded trails and lava tube cave. One might see it in the guidance of parents and lights in the darkened cave as well as the faultiness of the foundation of the inspected home. I decline to belabor the point.

 One thing I love about Jesus is that He didn’t and doesn’t take the “nonspiritual” to try to explain the “spiritual”. He simply shows us how what He, the Father and the Holy Spirit created and manage reflects the perfect, eternal reality of the Triune God, in the midst of this world marred by sin. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Sin is everywhere but grace and freedom abound. The hard part is (to steal a line from Pastor Matt) to “live life giving complete and utter credit to God.”

But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:16 NIV)

Happy Independence Day! May you know and enjoy the freedom of the Lord!