“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” — Galatians 4:7
St. Patrick’s Day has always been special to me. It is a pretty cool holiday but that is not the reason. It was also my mom’s birthday. She didn’t make her birthday a big deal, but she used St. Paddy’s day to make a big deal for the rest of the family. That was the way she was… she did special things like baking a green cake for us, wearing green, and pinching us if we forgot to. I guess that was one of the birthday privileges she exercised.
But St. Patrick’s story is not just one of shamrocks and green clothes and parades—it is a powerful testimony of redemption, transformation, and obedience to God’s calling. St. Patrick’s true life story illustrates the gospel itself: how Christ sets us free from the captivity of sin and then calls us to share that freedom with others.
Patrick was just a teenager when raiders kidnapped him from his home in Britain and sold him into slavery in Ireland. He spent years in bondage, tending sheep on a lonely hillside. But during that time, something remarkable happened—he turned to Christ. 
In his own words, Patrick prayed as many as a hundred times a day, his heart awakening to the presence of God in his suffering. He found a relationship in his loneliness that would shape the rest of his life and even a whole country.
Eventually, he escaped and returned home. But instead of putting his past behind him and settling into a comfortable life, Patrick had a vision—he saw the Irish people calling him back, saying, “Come and walk among us again.” He knew what this dream meant: God was sending him back, not for vengeance, but for the sake of the gospel. The very people who had enslaved him were now the ones God called him to love and serve.
Patrick obeyed. He returned to Ireland, facing opposition, hardship, and danger. There were many times that it would have been easier to pack up and head back to his home, but this was his home now. Because of his perseverance his ministry brought thousands to Christ, and Ireland was forever changed. The captive had become the missionary. The lost had been found, and now he was leading others to the same Savior who had rescued him.
Patrick’s journey mirrors our own spiritual condition. Before Christ, we were enslaved—not to earthly masters, but to sin. We were in bondage, unable to free ourselves. But God, in His mercy, sent a Savior. Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18), to redeem us from slavery to sin, and to make us sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:7).
But salvation should not be the end of the story, but the beginning. Just as Patrick was called to return to the people who had once enslaved him, we, too, are called to bring the message of Christ to those who are still in spiritual captivity. 
We are ambassadors representing our new home country to those in a faraway land.
Here is the challenge. Are there people in your life that are difficult to love—maybe even those who have wronged you? Are there places God is calling you to go, people who God wants you to engage, activities that God wants you to take part in, but fear is holding you back? Patrick could have stayed in his homeland, content in his own freedom, but he chose obedience over comfort.
May we do the same as Patrick. May we remember that we were once captives, but Christ has set us free. And now, He calls us to go and tell others—no matter the cost. Next time you see someone wearing green or dressed like a leprechaun or getting pinched, remember Patrick and his great love for others….and love others the same way.
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” — Romans 10:14
on chapter eighteen of my current one (been on chapter 18 for a long time now). I kid Elaine because she has started quite a few crocheting projects. Most of them remain the size of doilies. (maybe they are doilies, but I don’t think so). Sometimes people make bucket lists to try to do certain things they wish they had done earlier in their lives and often times they are things that they have always put off until tomorrow.
our joy and peace with dread. Putting something off until tomorrow is like putting a piece of tape over the oil light on our dashboard- it doesn’t take away the problem, it just makes things worse in the long run.
After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. “I feel a lot better now, but I just know Pa is going to be real upset.”
now have it with you.” That is a pretty clear statement about procrastination. God doesn’t want us putting off doing good to others. When it comes to mind to call someone, send them a card, or visit them, we need to be quick to respond. Our timely response can make a world of difference in someone else’s life.
out for our benefit. I think this little poem illustrates most of our feelings.