Day 2: Of Freedom and Liberty

On the beaches of Normandy

By Natasha

Finally we are on the journey... wow, it feels like such a long time coming! But so far, so great!

As we drove into the port at Dover yesterday, I remember thinking: “Wow. We are now free to do whatever!” A random thought at the time, but so fitting since for the first time since we got married Tim and I finally just have 3 or so weeks to do whatever we want. We have an idea of where we would like to go, but there is honestly no schedule till we meet up with Nick and Lana in Italy in March. No commitments and no deadlines. That is huge!

From the minute we boarded the ferry I could feel the stress fall off of my shoulders bit by bit.. and driving off the ferry in Calais, France... I knew we were starting something new. The rain was almost unbearable when we had to pack in on Tuesday... but here the rain all of a sudden felt refreshing and calming.

We drove as far as we could to just north of Rouen and found a hotel with free Wi-Fi who was willing to give us quite a discount on a room for the night. It had been so long since when we could just kick up our feet and enjoy time together in peace.

The next morning when we pulled out of our hotel, we noticed a rather prominent Statue of Liberty made of concrete standing on an island in the middle of a signature European rotary/roundabout. At first she seemed so oddly out of place and almost eery.. but then her serenity invites you in to ponder what she represents and stands for.

We made a quick stop in Rouen to see the city known for being the site where Joan of Arc was executed and for housing the cathedral with the tallest spire in France. Standing in front of these sites and taking in all the beauty that these incredible buildings have to offer, I was struck by the contrasting sites we will be taking in in a few short weeks’ time. Here stood these absolutely awe inspiring structures with such tremendous detail and beauty which must’ve cost a fortune to build.. and across the water lay a large continent in need and poverty where the architecture can’t afford such elaborate designs.

I felt so humbled and blessed by the fact that as a woman living in the culture that I do, I can freely worship God without any reservation or requirements. Unlike sweet Joan, I don’t have to cut my hair short, dress in men’s clothing and armour or have to prove myself to fight in His army. I just can!

We decided to travel a bit west first (before heading further south) to go and see the gorgeous beaches of Normandy around Ponte du Hoc .. the site of D-Day. Standing on the stunning sands at Omaha Beach and looking out at the stretch of beach, the cliffs (pockmarked with holes from that specific day) and the rainbow in the distant sky, I truly struggled to imagine the 100’s of thousands of soldiers invading the shores there to fight against injustice and tyranny. And the thought of all the thousands of lives lying buried around me in all the marked and unmarked graves, made me truly grateful and thankful for what they did there. I (in so many ways) can live free the way I do today as a result of the events of that day.. we all can.

Driving south from there through the French countryside in a hail storm, the light began to disappear quickly into the night sky. Soon we could barely see anything through the rain but the horizon and the odd crucifix here and there that would protrude into the skyline ever so often while driving through the small towns. I was struck by the fact that you could barely see anything, yet these crucifixes stood out with so much clarity and dominance.

God was clearly speaking to me today through the stories of soldiers and historical figures, through nature, through accounts of major world events and even through man-made structures and sculptures. The theme? Liberty and Freedom... and the sacrifices made so you and I can enjoy them. Perhaps these crucifixes were a reminder about the ultimate sacrifice made for the ultimate freedom.. hmpf.. there’s a thought!

I pray that God will give us the strength of heart, mind and spirit to enjoy our freedoms, but to be moved and passionate about the “captive” ones we will be meeting along this journey. And my prayer for you is that today you may also remember the sacrifice/s made for your freedom and liberty and that you may never take them for granted.

On that note, please please please pray for our decision we have to make about route in regards to Libya as we don’t quite have the “freedom” to enter just yet! Thanks in advance, and we will let you know as soon as we get news!