"I want to be happy and free"

(em breve em português!)

That’s what a friend of mine said the other day about what he wants from life. When he asked me what it is I want out of life I said something about loving others. And, it’s true, I do want to love others. But, I kept thinking about his answer…”to be happy and to be free.” I found that response interesting, deep and true. I asked this friend of mine what “to be free” meant to him and he said, “free from addictions, routines and obligations.” I think this is probably a common definition, but, I told him, I don’t think a life without any of those things is possible. But, I was thinking how we really are prisoners and how I too want to be free. And for me, freedom means free from selfishness, anger, bitterness, uselessness…from myself basically. It would be so good to be from my little Heather-world and be free to really love others.
A few days after that conversation, I was finishing the book Blue Like Jazz (see below) and the author said something that caught my attention. He closes the book with this,

"The first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is the music birthed out of freedom. And that is the closest thing I know to Christian Spirituality. A music birthed out of freedom. Everybody sings their song as they feel it; everybody closes their eyes and lifts up their hands." He continues, "I want Jesus to happen to you the way he happened to me. I want you to know Jesus too. This book is about the songs my friends and I are singing. This is what God is doing in our lives. But what song will you sing when your soul gets set free? I think it will be something true and beautiful. If you haven't done it in a while, pray and talk to Jesus. Ask Him to become real to you...to forgive you of your self-addiction, to put a song in your heart. I can't think of anything better that could happen to you than this. Much love and thanks for listening to us sing."

This captured my heart because I saw that that’s what I would say to my friend about what I want. I want to be free, too, my friend. With Jesus’ freedom that creates a unique, live and transforming song! Oh, that our lives may sing like that!