Prisons and Pastures

Imagine a man being gifted a flower that is just beginning to sprout. The seedling needs care and must be watered and exposed to ample amounts of sunlight. As he holds this delicate life in his hands, he looks for suitable ground to place it in.

This man is given two locations to plant his flower - The first is a prison cell. The floors of the prison are concrete. The air is thick, and no natural light reaches the ground. The iron bars restrict freedom and confine the incarcerated to their designated areas.

The second option is a pasture. Trees blossom in the sunlight. Grass sways in the wind, and wildflowers flourish as their roots grow deep in the nutritious soil. In the mornings, dew sparkles in the dawn, and in the evening, crickets sing the plants to sleep.

Which location should the man choose?

Surely, he would have to be a fool to plant his flower in the prison cell.

Now, the reason I paint this picture is because we are all this man, and the flower is our life. Different opportunities come our way, and we get to choose which ones we grab hold of. These opportunities can be either prisons or pastures.

An evening hanging out with friends – prison or pasture? Is it wasted time, and you agree to join just so you don’t upset your friends, or is it an opportunity to deepen relationships, grow spiritually, and laugh and love?

A new job is offered – prison or pasture? Will it ask of you to sacrifice time with family and time to yourself for more money? Are you taking it because you believe it will elevate your status, or will it instead allow you to touch people's lives, grow in maturity, and do good things?

We are not victims of our fate but contributors. Inevitably, we become the sum of our decisions. If we consistently choose the things that imprison us instead of the things that allow us to flourish, we will forfeit our ability to grow, prosper, and be intentional. Before you act, recognize that whatever you do will become part of you - what do you want to stand for?

And sometimes, choosing the pasture can seem daunting. You can’t see where a pasture ends. You can't see where it might lead. There could be a lake beyond the forest or a water spring at the top of a hill.

The prison is the opposite. It can feel safe. You know exactly where you are and what to expect. You see the borders and the lock on the door. The walls that confine you can seem like they protect you.

Renowned Austrian neurologist and psychologist Viktor Frankl stated, ‘Decisions, and not conditions, determine what a man is.’ He shared these words after surviving some of the most horrific conditions imaginable – the concentration camps of Hitler’s Third Reich. Even there, he was able to make decisions that helped him prosper and remain hopeful and strong. Even there, surrounded by barbed wire fences and living in barracks filled with the dead and dying, he was able to choose. And in the prison forced upon him, he planted a small pasture.

The next time you must make a decision, remember: There are prisons and pastures; which will you choose?