The C & S Chain Gang

A friend use to use that expression all the time, 'The C & S gang, meaning the curcumstances and situations our Father was and is using to drive us to Himself.

I enjoyed what my brother Kent shared on his blog, and I want to share some different thoughts, not better ones.
Thoughts that are much more applicable to me, as well as maybe to many others. Maybe it has much more to do with, freedom in, vs freedom from circumstances (expectations) and situations?

I would love to imagine that the old Negro song, ‘Nobody knows what troubles I’ve seen, nobody knows but Jesus’, was in fact how some within a race of people discovered freedom (in the midst of racial injustice/hardships beyond my imagination) in discovering Him right there in there plight, with no hope other than the Living One in them!

The following is from a friends blog, 'Faithfully Dangerous'

http://nthegarden.blogspot.com/

The Tyranny Of Expectations'

I have never lived more free from the tyranny caused by the life of expectations I had lived. I've never lived more free to be able to see the hope that is waiting to be found living a life of expectancy. To begin the day with the excitement of a child, "Father, what are we doing today?" As I write that I'm left shaking my head still in stunned disbelief. Father had been here all along loving me and those around me. I just couldn't see it through the fog caused by all my expectations. That leads me to believe that freedom is closer than we all might think?
It's already right there inside us.
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Indeed, except this is how I see it unfolding in my life-walk.
It is the very tyranny of life's expectations that Father is using to make Himself known to me. By removing those expectations, its but a shell game, or better yet, shadow boxing.
There is NO freedom from these expectations apart from His grace drawing me to Himself in the very midst/thick of this mind bending crap. It is Him using these dynamic (divine) tensions, a medium at His disposal, to make it even more real in knowing Who's I am!

Sort of like what David said, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, what more do I want.' Learning and experiencing that reality is not, nor will it ever be because He removes that craving-lusting-longing within my flesh for those whacked expectations I seem to perpetually have. It seems to me, freedom in these tensions are spelled out by some in their removal..hmmmm? Is it apart from my circumstances or situations I am learning and growing in the continued grace and true knowledge of Him that is always available.

I wonder if Paul saw it this way, not only him but countless thousands down through time, meaning, if true freedom say for Paul was only defined in being on the other side of the prison bars, beatings, betrayals, then that looks pretty shabby at best to me.
I think he implied something like this...Its the one who is His slave, that is truly FREE!

If peace and joy for example are simply the results of having no antagonistic, annoying, shit kicking disturbances etc., then why is He necessary?
I think too many hear about what the Lord has done in someone’s life, and how they are living in such freedom, and yet seeing in their lives, they are still so full of relentless expectations or whatever and think, wow maybe one day I will be free from all of this stuff.
When in fact maybe its this very stuff that we're trying to escape that God is using to bring us to Himself.

I think as long as we are in these fleshly clay tents, the issue of having expectations will be there, and the freedom we seek is in my opinion not the result of Father putting me in some kind of opiated space, I dub as 'freedom'. But in the moment/s of assault, battering upon my mind, I turn to Him.
Its the very assaults battering us that He is using to reveal what true liberty and freedom is.
Maybe its a revelation of Him in us now, today, and not in having everything outside of me being real comfy-cozy?

Rich