Can Freedom Feel Foreign?

17/9/2025

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, September 21st, 2025:
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 113

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the needy.

Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the needy.

The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the needy.

The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the needy.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

At the time of writing this reflection, I am on Day 39 of the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz. This puts me in the book of Exodus. Amid all of the wild stories of plagues, pillars of cloud and fire and parting of seas, I am initially perplexed by the people’s clear apprehension of their new freedom. At times they said it would have been better to have been left as slaves in Egypt. But is this really so hard to imagine?

As I come to the end of a few of the most stressful work weeks of my career, I distinctly remember my own desire for a drink, a quick fix to my heightened anxiety. To some, this may seem like a totally reasonable antidote but, as I approach five years of sobriety in a few days, a couple of drinks to calm my nerves could land me back in bondage. I would be lying if I said there were never times when I wished God hadn’t lifted me “from the ash heap,” out of the pit of addiction. I’m sensitive and experience emotions deeply. Sometimes these emotions are so intense that I desire to numb them or to put them in a box and shove them to the deep recesses of my heart. Although these moments are few and far between, they happen during challenging times or when I am full of fear. I can sometimes forget the pain and isolation of addiction; it can even start to appear comforting when freedom feels foreign somehow.

I wonder if that is what the people of Israel experienced in those first days and weeks of liberation. Maybe freedom felt foreign to them. But, as with any major life change, it just takes a little time to get used to. As God continues to provide for their needs, the people raise their voices in songs of praise for our God who saves. For me, it only takes a few pages of my journal from 2020 to remind me of how the Lord broke my chains and set me free. The joy expressed in these pages is palpable. Any growing pains I experienced were far outweighed by pure delight in God’s goodness. Gratitude was (and still is) a huge part of my disposition in sobriety. As Psalm 113 says, “The Lord is high above all nations.” He sees so much more than we are able to see: our past, our present, and our future. He knew what was best for the Israelites then, and He knows what is best for me now.

Lord, I praise Your holy name. “Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.”

Lisa Matheson

4 Comments

Lori

17/9/2025 07:47:56 am

Happy 5 years of sobriety, Lisa!!!! God has done a beautiful work in your life and now He is doing a beautiful work in others’s lives through you!

This concept of freedom is a tricky one when our minds and bodies are more familiar with bondage. I have experienced this, and I continue to experience it—this discomfort with good things because true Goodness is so foreign. It’s stories like yours that help me to remember that God is still at work, and His goodness is trustworthy.

Lisa M

21/9/2025 07:34:44 am

We humans are such complex beings, aren’t we? I’m so grateful that I am not alone when bondage starts to look comfortable. Thank goodness we have each other to remind us that the freedom He offers us is truly Good.

Alana

17/9/2025 08:51:53 am

Praise God Lisa for the gift of who you are and the incredible work He has done in your life and for all the beautiful ways He uses you to build up, inspire, and encourage others - I’m so very grateful to experience Him and His love and inspiration over and over again through you! I celebrate with you the freedom so far and I give thanks for you and for your vulnerability in sharing and pray for your continued freedom in the midst of the struggles dear sister - He is with you! And - although I don’t think I will fully understand until Heaven - the only way to the resurrection is through the cross - praise God He doesn’t leave us alone - He and His Spirit are always with us and He gives us each other. Yay God for that! I’m so eternally grateful. Love and hugs and prayers to all of you. 😊🙏🏻💕xo

21/9/2025 07:37:08 am

Thanks Alana. I agree, there are so many things I won’t fully understand until Heaven. But until then, I am so grateful for my sisters who allow me to question, to wrestle, and to grow deeper in relationship through vulnerable sharing.