Mary’s Mission: Thank You, God. I am Free

Mary's Mission: Thank you, God. I am Free.

By: Mary Arcement Alexander, LPC

NOVEMBER HAS BECOME the month of gratitude thanks to Thanksgiving. What I find interesting is how most people tend to focus more on traveling, food and football than giving thanks. I know I was once that person. As I have aged, God has shown me how much I need to be grateful for every day of the year as well as every day of my life. Each morning, as part of my routine, I write down ten things I am grateful for that day. When I tell people this, most wonder how I come up with ten. Here is the cool part: the more you practice, the easier it flows out of you. For my 50th birthday, I wrote down 50 things and I was pleasantly surprised how easily they all flowed out of me. God is good every day and every day God is good! He will reveal your list to you in those times of struggle. Either He will bring the thoughts to your mind or He will show you what is right in front of you. All you need to do is pause, be still and silent and let Him show and tell you all He has done and is doing in your life. In those moments, you cannot help but to be grateful.

For the purpose of November’s column, I will focus on one thing that I am most grateful for - my freedom. For the record, I have always been grateful to be free. In my youth, I most certainly took it for granted. I did not realize during my early years just how incredible it is to be free. When asked by a friend to describe my childhood with one word, freedom was the first to come to mind. God blessed me with a great childhood that included growing up in a small town in south Louisiana. It was the 70’s and 80’s, prior to the internet and cell phones (thank you Lord for that!), and as a result, I spent a lot of time outside playing and growing in my imagination. My friends and I would spend hours upon hours during the summer months exploring the world around us. We were free to roam, free to play, and free to be children without fear or worry.

Being an American has allowed me certain freedoms; namely, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to vote, freedom to live where I choose, freedom to choose my career, freedom to travel, and freedom to live as a Christian without persecution, just to name a few. What is even more important is the freedom found in Christ. He died on a cross for little ole me. That is an overwhelming thought. It took years before I was able to say, “He died for me.” I have often felt so unworthy, but through His unconditional love for me I now know my worth. He sacrificed His life and gave me ultimate freedom. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to choose Christ daily, which will lead me to spending eternity with Him and our Father in heaven. That, brothers and sisters, is the best kind of freedom. We will never experience this kind of freedom while on earth, for our earthly life is temporary and filled with limitations. When I imagine heaven, I imagine limitless love, joy, peace, grace, freedom and so much more.

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16

Mary Arecement Alexander is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice in Shreveport, LA.