Freedom, embodied

Snapped this photo as I wrote this in the parking lot of Home Depot.

I’ve never seen Jesus in person, so I can’t say that I know exactly what freedom in Christ looks like in the flesh. But I got a glimpse of it just a moment ago, right here in the Home Depot parking lot…

He was a tall, bearded man who wore cargo shorts that stopped just above the kneecap. Carhartt brand. The belt held them just below his stomach - a solid barrel that protruded with aplomb.

He donned a JCPenney-style button-down shirt.
Short-sleeved.
Tucked in.

He rocked off-brand Birkenstocks. With socks.

He had a huge smile. Ear to ear. And why wouldn’t he? He got the best cart there! Not the grocery cart (too small for most tasks at Home Depot) and not the huge one (too big for most lay people). He got the mid-size carrier that could hold just enough materials for a solid Saturday project. It was waiting for him like a golden chariot, within one step as he exited his very reasonable mid-2000s midsize GMC SUV.

This man has won the day.
He is completely free.
I envy him.