GUY GETS OUT OF PRISON…WHAT DOES HE DO?

FREEDOM TASTES BETTER THAN THE SANDWICH

Sometimes it takes losing something…

To finally understand its value.

Freedom is one of those things.

Most people don’t appreciate it until it is gone.

This man did.

GUY GETS OUT OF PRISON…
WHAT DOES HE DO?

FREEDOM TASTES BETTER THAN THE SANDWICH

Here is something that escapes many of us.

The simplicity of life.

We are constantly being told that happiness is somewhere else.

A bigger house.

A newer car.

More money.

More status.

More recognition.

More followers.

More possessions.

More.

More.

More.

The problem is that while we are chasing “more,” we often miss what is already right in front of us.

The simple joys.

The everyday blessings.

The ordinary miracles.

This story reminds us of that.

HIS FREEDOM WAS TAKEN AWAY

A man spent years behind bars.

His freedom was removed.

Not just part of it.

All of it.

Freedom to come and go.

Freedom to choose.

Freedom to decide.

Freedom to sit where he wanted.

Freedom to eat what he wanted.

Freedom to visit who he wanted.

Freedom to simply be.

Things most of us take for granted every day.

When freedom disappears, the ordinary suddenly becomes extraordinary.

THE DAY FINALLY CAME

After years of confinement, the prison doors opened.

He walked out.

No guards directing him.

No locked doors.

No permission slips.

No schedules imposed upon him.

For the first time in a long time, the next decision belonged entirely to him.

What would he do?

Would he rush out and buy something expensive?

Would he seek luxury?

Would he chase excitement?

No.

Not even close.

HIS FIRST CHOICE

He wanted a sandwich.

Any sandwich.

One made because he wanted it.

Prepared the way he liked it.

Served when he wanted it.

He wanted a drink of his choosing.

Then he wanted to find a tree beside a lake.

Sit on the grass.

Feel the breeze.

Watch the sky.

Eat his sandwich.

Drink his drink.

And enjoy his freedom.

That was it.

No grand plan.

No complicated agenda.

No conquest.

Just gratitude.

THE SANDWICH WASN’T THE REWARD

The sandwich wasn’t what mattered.

The freedom did.

The grass wasn’t what mattered.

The freedom did.

The lake wasn’t what mattered.

The freedom did.

The sky wasn’t what mattered.

The freedom did.

Everything tasted better because it was chosen.

Everything felt richer because it was appreciated.

Everything mattered because it was free.

LESS IS MORE

One of the great deceptions of life is believing that happiness is found in accumulation.

More stuff.

More power.

More attention.

More possessions.

Yet many people who possess the most often enjoy it the least.

They are too busy protecting it.

Managing it.

Worrying about it.

Chasing the next thing.

Meanwhile, a free man sitting under a tree with a sandwich can feel richer than a millionaire.

Why?

Because peace has arrived.

PEARLS TO PONDER

I have often written:

“If you do nothing right, you will do nothing wrong.”

That saying is not about doing nothing.

It is about simplicity.

About avoiding needless complications.

About understanding that life often works best when lived honestly and correctly.

Another Pearl says:

“The purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life.”

And another:

“The greatest treasure you will ever discover is another human being.”

Not a thing.

Not a title.

Not a possession.

A person.

A relationship.

A moment.

A memory.

These are the true treasures.

THE HARD-WORKING POOR MAN

I have often wondered why Scripture speaks so highly of the humble.

Perhaps it is because they understand something the rest of us sometimes forget.

They appreciate what they have.

They enjoy simple pleasures.

They value people.

They notice sunsets.

They appreciate meals.

They laugh more easily.

They understand gratitude.

They have discovered that happiness is not purchased.

It is practiced.

FREEDOM BEGINS WITHIN

The greatest prison is not always made of steel bars.

Sometimes it is made of fear.

Greed.

Envy.

Bitterness.

Resentment.

Addiction.

Pride.

A man can walk freely outside and still be imprisoned within.

Likewise, a person can lose everything and still remain free because their spirit remains untouched.

That is a powerful truth.

FREEDOM TASTES BETTER

The man did not enjoy the sandwich because it was the best sandwich ever made.

He enjoyed it because he was free.

Perhaps that is the lesson.

The things we enjoy most are often not valuable because of what they are.

They are valuable because we are present enough to appreciate them.

WHAT THEN?

Take a walk.

Watch a sunset.

Call a friend.

Sit under a tree.

Eat a meal slowly.

Listen to the birds.

Watch the clouds.

Hold someone’s hand.

Laugh a little more.

Worry a little less.

And before chasing the next great thing…

Pause and appreciate the freedoms already in your possession.

Because one day you may discover what that former prisoner already knew.

Freedom tastes better than the sandwich.

— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com