Liberation When You’re Stuck
By Jessica Brodie
Have you ever giggled at an animal’s antics, only to realize you’ve done something much the same?
I have three cats and a dog, and they’re a source of great amusement in my house. They all have distinct personalities—Leia, our gray tabby, is the queen, surveying the household disdainfully from her high perch on the cat tower. Casper, our solid-white cat, is skittish, manic, and always ready for a meal. Finn, the ginger, is a total and indiscriminate lover, and Captain, our German Shepherd, is seven times larger than any of them but can’t figure out why they run in terror and won’t play ball with him.
The other day we knew something was wrong when we couldn’t find Casper at mealtime. When it comes to food, Casper acts like he hasn’t had a meal in a week and might not get one for two, even though he’s been fed morning and night like clockwork since we adopted him.
Eventually we heard mournful meows and discovered him deep inside our kitchen cabinetry, where he used to hide when he was a kitten. Apparently, he’d darted in without considering how much he’d grown in a year… and now he was stuck.
“Maybe he’ll come out on his own when he’s good and ready,” we said.
But hours passed, and his meows grew. He lay on his side, stretching his arms through the tiny, kitten-sized hole, as if pleading for us to pull him out.
We tried everything, enticing him with food, attempting to slide him with our fingers, tempting him with treats and toys… nothing worked.
Finally, my husband got a mini-saw and cut out a large hole, freeing him. At last, Casper can come out, we told ourselves.
Except instead of joy over his liberation, poor Casper was terrified by the saw, and he tucked himself so far back in the cabinetry we knew he wasn’t going to budge anytime soon.
“He’ll come out eventually,” I declared, and set about making dinner.
But my daughter was distraught. She lay on the floor for hours, even after the rest of us had gone upstairs for the night, urging him to come out. When he finally did, he was overjoyed, cuddling with her all night.
Looking at Casper, trapped in a hole he could enter but not escape, reminded me of myself. For I’ve been there… somehow squeezed myself into a situation that seemed like a great idea, only to realize I couldn’t extricate myself. I felt trapped, stuck, and when liberation finally came, I was scared of the outcome and stayed there in my pit of shame far too long.
Can you relate?
Perhaps it’s a relationship that seems ideal but is really toxic, and you ignore all the warning signs until you’re so emotionally invested you can’t figure out how to escape. Perhaps it’s a bad habit that started innocently but now has become an addiction.
Maybe we think our mistake now defines us, that we can never get free from the shame or the baggage or the memories or the allure. We’re stuck—forever.
Thank God for Jesus.
For that is what Jesus offers every one of us: liberation. Freedom, here on earth and for all eternity.
Christ came to set the captives free. He said as much when he taught in the synagogue one Sabbath in Nazareth, his hometown, preaching from the prophet Isaiah: “‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:18-21 NIV).
The people of Nazareth weren’t ready for his message and rejected it. But today, we who believe in Jesus can stand on that promise.
We who believe in him and repent of our sins have the opportunity for salvation. He washes us clean and forgives our transgressions.
With a clean slate, we can have confidence that we are indeed “new creations in Christ” (2 Corinthian 5:17).
But many of us allow ourselves to remain trapped in the shame of our past. Guilt paralyzes us. We don’t recognize our liberation, or we choose to ignore it because we think we don’t deserve it, and our fear and shame get in the way of the life God intends for us.
We’re not liberated to stay locked in place. We’re liberated so God can work God’s power through us, so God can move and flow and transform the world through us!
The lesson my cat Casper teaches me is this: Do your best to avoid getting stuck in a bad situation. But if you do find yourself stuck, call out to God for help. Then, when he brings you freedom, grab onto it with both hands.
And live.
Thanks be to God.
