One time when I was little I decided to catch a squirrel. I set a live trap one afternoon and sure enough it was not long that I had me a squirrel. I had not thought it through long enough to decide what I was going to do with it once it was caught. So I decided to put it in an old shoe box. So I forced it in the shoe box with a stick and slammed the lid down. I covered it in duck tape certain that the squirrel could not get out. I put it in my dads building until next morning.
The next morning I suspected the squirrel was hungry so I took it some corn shucks. But to my surprise the squirrel had chewed through the cardboard box and gotten loose in my dads workshop. The only way out of this workshop was through an open window or the open door. So I opened the door and windows. I waited and all of a sudden I saw the squirrel sitting on the ledge of the window sill. Taking a deep breath of air, he jumped down and ran up the nearest tree. I related this story to my grandpa and told him how upset I was that the squirrel did not want to by my pet. He said, “Squirrels are made to be free and in order for them to fulfill the reason they exist they have to roam wild.” God must be left to be free and wild. God must be allowed to roam in and out of your life. God must be given room to work. God cannot be localized, limited, or manipulated.
When things are going well in our lives is when we are most tempted to put God in a box. Maybe it is the human desire to keep things as they are. We are safe as long as God is in a box. Let God out and we don’t know what God will ask of us. Let God roam wild in our lives and we may end up in Africa, Venezuela, or New Orleans. Let God run wild in our lives and we may have to tell the truth. Let God run wild in our lives and we may have to stand up against injustice. Let God run wild in our lives and we may have to answer the call. Let God run wild in our lives and we may have to teach Sunday School, preach the gospel, or witness to a neighbor. Let God run wild in our lives and we may have to start taking our faith walk serious. Let God run wild in our lives and we may experience grace. We may be called to love our enemies. We may be challenged to stand when others are quiet. We may be called upon to serve. The only way to truly know this God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Esther, the disciples and Paul is to let God roam free in your life. The only way to experience the freedom of Christ is letting Christ have freedom in your life.
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