Beautiful Prison

By: Lisa Rene Delgado (2017)

Edited by: Lisa Rene Delgado (2022)

The door is wide open, the latch and key lie fallen. Am I free?

A voice calls me, “Come out, come out, you are free from your prison. Come out, and follow Me!”

I stand at the door, looking out, yet my feet are stuck as though they have been shackled and held. This invisible force has a hold on me.

It’s intense; it’s stronger than me, like a root embedded in the ground for years and years, and has grown more robust than I.

My heart trembles with fear, the fear of the unknown. I know my prison well. I am familiar with the invisible bars, though they are bars of shame. I know them too well.

Though it may be dark, I walk through the mire; I have decorated everything nicely and planted flowers to cover my shame.

Every nook and cranny has been covered; the shame, where I covered over my pain. I am familiar with my prison; it’s beautiful here. I have made it my own, but it is still a prison that holds me near.

The mud of my past, I wash, and wash, with soaps and creams, perfumes, oils, and such, but the shadow of shame does not wash off from me.

I have made myself look pretty with jewelry, scarves, and such. I am decorated for all to see. But who is He? The God who sees beneath my soul of shame? The One calling, a voice calling me, “Come out, come out, you are free from your prison, come out, and follow Me!”

I stand at the door, I am looking out, yet my feet are stuck as though they have been shackled and held; this invisible force is holding me,

It’s intense; it’s stronger than me, like a root embedded in the ground for years and years, and has grown more robust than I.

I look beyond, and what do I see, the man whose calling, hanging on a tree,

“Come out, come out, you are free from your prison, come out, come out, and follow Me!”

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The shackles have fallen, my feet are free, I run, the One who is calling, and fall to my knees.

I am here, I say, I deserve this punishment. Why are You here?

I have taken your punishment; it is all on Me. The chains, shackles, and sin nailed on Me!

The burdens you carry are too heavy for you; lay them here and rest in Me.

To the One who took my shame; its power is broken; it has no hold on me. No more shackles or bars keeping me here,

“Come here, come here, I want you to see. This beautiful garden was once my prison, but now I am free.

See, see, I want you to be free; the calling voice wants to set you free.

He is calling you now, “Come out, come out, for now you free, come out, come out, and follow Me!”