Every Soul Is Free
Though our journey through life feels much like an uncharted course on a storm-tossed sea, I strive to tap into several aspects of the beautiful, multi-dimensional concept called faith.
I have faith in a God who I connect to as a loving Father who’s guidance and strength I rely on. I have faith in a religion which helps me draw closer to a God I see as my Heavenly Father.
I have faith in the goodness of people, those in my family, neighborhood, and community, as well as those throughout my country and throughout the world.
I have faith in myself, in my own abilities to get back up when down, to rise to the occasion, to chart my course on a storm-tossed sea.
These aspects of faith, and more, are intertwined together, much like a beautifully braided rope, the collective strength greater than each any individual strand would be on its own.
It takes a combination of all aspects of faith, continually and consistently applied I believe, to create within that which we need to navigate this tempest-tossed world.
It takes such faith, continually and consistently applied, to make the necessary daily choices to keep our course on a charted and corrected path.
Such thoughts have been inspired this morning by Aaron Kelson, a friend and mentor of my college days, who I have recently reconnected with. In his thoughts, he shared these words from the hymn, “Know This, That Every Soul is Free.”
“Know this, that ev’ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he’ll be;
For this eternal truth is giv’n:
That God will force no man to heav’n.
“He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.”
Such is our journey of faith. We are free, as the great prophet Lehi taught, “to choose liberty and eternal life… or to choose captivity and death.”
May we chart our course, make our choices, as guided by the “great Mediator of all men.”
EVERY SOUL IS FREE
By Les Patterson
Choices to be made belong
Wholly to those who would be
In control of their future
Yay, every soul is free.
We may argue with passion
When one sets to the sea
Waves and torrents rule
Stripping every soul from truly being free.
Yet, at the helm we take our place
Navigating the boundless with surety
Charting course to our long awaited home
Determined our soul to always be free.
Though the tempest rages on
Pushing off course by degree
We adjust for the billowing storms
Minor corrections keeping our soul still free.
Even the demons of the deep
Stirring the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Lack what they need to fraught
Our souls from eternally being free.
Though at the helm mistakes we may make
Our course no longer charted clearly
We can choose even then to liberate
Our captive souls then again to be free.
Redemption comes when captivate
We would choose to no longer be
Trusting fate to the Master of sea and life
He who would keep our soul forever free.
We now know our choices do belong
Wholly to we who would be
In control of our future come what may
The Master doth grant every soul is free.
Thoughts of inspiration come in many forms, and may be expressed in many ways. The collection of stories, essays, and poetry shared under Red Edge Perspective represents some of my personal efforts to Gain The Red Edge through creative expression. Thanks for letting me share.
