Prison

I have heard people tell me that they have troubles but are grateful they have never been to prison, like so and so, who did go to prison.  Oh?  What about bondage to self?  Often these same non-jail people are in bondage to spending so much time and energy thinking about themselves, in a whiny, anxious way.  A self-focused person will never get all they want.  They always want “more.”  So I look at my own life and ask how much of the day, this day for a start, do I spend thinking about me, and thinking/acting/fretting in a way that I cannot seem to stop?  It is one thing to be self-reflective here and there each day, especially for people who are fighting compulsions.  Check in with ourselves, but then get on with letting go of self-focus to attend to the deeper world of prayer or wider world that might benefit from your compassion and love.  I must admit that there are jags of time, too long a jag, when I cannot get out of me.  The phone is too heavy to call, life is so unfair, no one loves me...we all know that drill.  Unless of course you never suffer from bondage to self.  What to do? Admit you are in prison.  Ask for parole from the Spirit. I find that God releases me from my self-imposed prison, not because of good behavior, but in order to practice it.  Surrender does not get one into prison.  It frees us.