Finding Freedom
My husband and I are spending July 4th quietly this year. Randy is mowing our acreage, and I'm settling back at my desk after an overextended hiatus from writing.
As I scrolled through my social media and iPhone photos, memories from Independence Days past came flooding back. I could almost hear children laughing as carnival rides sent butterflies dancing through their stomachs. I could smell cotton candy, corn dogs, and funnel cakes—memories carefully tucked away in a place in my heart labeled, priceless.
The midsummer holiday has marked many significant milestones in our lives. Stepping away from our normal routines has often given us the quiet we needed to hear God's direction for the next season.
It was during one of those times that we became convinced the Lord was calling us to uproot our family, leave our home state, and move 600 miles away from everything and everyone we knew to pursue full-time ministry. We had no idea how it would all come together. We simply held tightly to the peace of God that anchored our hearts.
Another year, shortly after returning from the holiday, an unexpected promotion opened a door we never could have anticipated.
Those moments remind me that God often speaks most clearly when we make room to listen.
"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
Ordinary life constantly competes for our attention. Work, schedules, responsibilities, and endless notifications create a level of noise that makes it difficult to think clearly—let alone hear the gentle voice of our Heavenly Father.
Busyness is one of the enemy's most effective tools. If he cannot persuade us to disobey God, he will gladly keep us distracted, exhausted, and too occupied to fulfill God's purposes. A life consumed by constant activity leaves little room to recognize the Lord's direction.
The psalmist understood the importance of remembering God's faithfulness:
"So the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands." — Psalm 78:6–7 (NLT)
Today, the United States celebrates its 250th birthday—a milestone reminding us of freedom, liberty, and the tremendous price paid to secure them.
But there is an even greater freedom available to every one of us.
Perhaps this holiday is more than a day of parades, fireworks, and backyard barbecues. Perhaps it is God's invitation to step away from the noise, quiet our hearts, and listen for the still, small voice of the One who created us. He alone knows the answers to the questions we carry and the path through every uncertainty we face.
He's closer than you realize, patiently waiting for you to invite Him into every burden, every decision, and every dream.
My prayer is that this July 4th becomes more than a national celebration.
May it become a personal milestone—a day you look back on and say,
"On this day, I found true freedom."
Has God ever used a quiet season or a holiday to redirect your life? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.