Living Wild and Free
Last summer, as I sat at the edge of a creek in North Carolina and watched my children playing, a group of kids about nine years old came whizzing by us. They were running, full speed, and jumping from boulders and over rocks without fear. My mind raced with questions: Where are their parents? What if they slip?
But then I wondered how children can be so fearless. I thought about a trendy saying I’ve seen a lot lately on jewelry, throw pillows, and wall art: Wild+Free.
My children have always been allowed to explore freely in nature, but on this day I was so burdened and troubled with the many cares of adult life that I just wasn’t remembering how freely and without worry children can play. No one broke a bone or fell into that creek, and they were so engrossed in their play that I became engrossed in watching them. I got caught up in the way they played—the energy, the cooperation, the fearless abandon.
I remember the days of carefree play and worry-free living, but I can’t seem to return to them. God is clear in his Word that we are to live in freedom and that’s why he gave us Christ. Christ sets us free. But my days include many cares and troubles, and I struggle to have faith like a child’s more often than not.
As I continued to watch the children, I wondered what living wild and free, with the faith of a child, looks like.
The children I observed were courageous; they weren’t deterred by danger or the possibility of pain: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 ESV).
Their play was brave: “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7 NIV).
In humility they invited others they didn’t know to join them. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 ESV).
They were free and they were focused, filled with wonder.
Sometimes I long for the feeling of freedom I once had. My friends and I joke about “adulting,” but being an adult is a real struggle some days. How we wish we could just jump over boulders and skip rocks and wade in the water, throwing back our heads with laughter and joy. Some days, when we have time and energy, we let that childlike spirit come back for a few hours, and we play. Most days, however, we work tirelessly and feel spent.
I know that no effort on my part can give me the courage, bravery, and humility children sometimes exhibit. I realize that being an adult is difficult and that struggles and burdens will always be part of life. So I ask myself this: during this season of waiting for spring, how can I live with faith as a child, wild and free, with abandon and joy?
I can daily remember that God is my anchor and my rock. He is my protector and my fortress. In him I can live without fear of the future because he has everything under his control and he does nothing except out of love. I can face the days bravely, and I can seek him in all things. I can hold tight to his love and plan for me. I can walk into what might seem like his “wild” plan for my life, a story I couldn’t have written or dreamed, and I can feel free. He has a plan, and I can’t mess it up.
Humility will bring people I could never have imagined into my life. When I don’t see differences or judge the hearts of others, when I just look for the good in people and invite them in, I can become like a child. I can humbly walk with new friends and seek out those in need of my care. If humility is what pleases Jesus, I want to learn to be humble.
This season, as the warmth of the sun begins to return and its light reflects on the water, think on these things. When you hear children splashing and laughing, their hearts soaring with joy, remember that this is how God created us to live: free, because he makes us that way. Not stopping to question his love or his purpose but wildly walking into his plan for us with focus, freedom, and faith.
is a wife, mama, and aspiring writer who has a passion to share her life with other women in order to encourage them to be the best they can for the kingdom. At home in East Tennessee, Gina loves to fluff her nest, squeeze her sweet kids, and read books. She blogs at ginagrizzle.blogspot.com.
Photograph © Taylor Deas, used with permission
