Bear with a quick lesson in the ancient art of falconry, or hunting with a hawk, falcon or eagle.  To become a falconer takes many years of daily training.   During this time, a magnificent bird is trained to fly out, hunt, and return, with its prey, to its master, the falconer. 

 These birds have a sense of freedom when on the hunt.  The falconer takes the hood from its head and releases the bird’s feet, allowing it to fly high and do what it was meant to do, being who it was created to be…free.  But because of its training, it always returns to its master.  The master covers its head again to remove the temptation of true freedom and puts it back in an enclosure.   

 Aren’t we like these birds?  We taste the freedom we have in Jesus, and we fly high for a while.  But, either because of our training or our perceived needs for comfort, we return to whatever masters us, and it covers our eyes to the truth we’re missing.   

 “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” -Galatians 5:1, MSG 

 Jesus doesn’t operate like the falconer, beaconing us back again to be blinded to our lack of freedom and bound in slavery.  He removes the veil and spurs us on to continued freedom.  He is flying ahead of us, beaconing us to join Him there, eyes open to His truth.  He set us free to remain free.  Stand…ahem, fly, and do not return to the falconer that enslaves you, sister.