No Strings

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord and he answered by setting me free!"

Psalm 118:5

Remember Pinocchio? He was that sweet, ambitious, wooden puppet whose only desire was to become a real boy. He wanted to walk and dance and run like all the other boys, with no strings attached. His father, Geppetto, was more than willing to see his wish come true but first, requested Pinocchio go to school with the other real boys and learn how to behave.

Like many of us, Pinocchio just couldn't seem to stick to the rules. All he had to do was to go to school, be brave, generous and honest. He ignored his conscience (Mr. Jimmy Cricket) so generously provided him by the Blue Fairy and kept getting mixed up with the wrong crowd who deceived him into thinking his father's rules and the Blue Fairy's virtues would just keep him tied up in strings.

In reality, his disobedience enslaved him more. It separated him from his father, gave him a horribly large nose that got in his way whenever he lied, kept him behind bars and eventually turned him into a worthless jackass who was thrown out to sea and swallowed up by a whale.

Fortunately for Pinocchio, his father never gave up on him. Geppetto called out his name while searching land and sea for his little wooden boy.

Like Geppetto, our Creator never gives up on us either. He loves us so much that He searches the ends of the earth, calling out our name, hoping someday we'll answer. But, it's our choice to answer his call or continue to be enslaved by the strings of our own desires. True, no-strings-attached freedom comes when we simply say, "I'm here, Father. Show me the way out."