Freedom Soup
Happy Tuesday!
Y’all know I be dreaming deep right? lol! Well, I recently had a dream that completely shifted my perspective on how God moves in our seasons of transition. In this dream, I was shown a beautiful, undeniable promise of what is to come and the entire experience was sealed with a moment of pure celebration, surrounded by community (Hampton family) eating rich, comforting Haitian food (so random bc I’ve only had Haitian food maybe once, years ago).
When I woke up, the weight of that dream stayed with me. I couldn't stop thinking about the meal, so the Lord actually had me go back and research the significance of traditional Haitian food. What I discovered took my breath away. In Haitian culture, there is a legendary, sacred dish called “Soup Joumou.” For centuries, it was known as the "Soup of Freedom" because under colonial rule, the Haitian people were forbidden from eating it. It was reserved strictly for the masters. However, when the people rose up, broke their chains, and won their independence, the very first thing they did to celebrate their absolute liberation was cook and share this soup. It became the ultimate symbol of a broken yoke and a new day. When that history hit me, the Holy Spirit dropped a phrase directly into my spirit: “EAT YOUR FREEDOM SOUP”
Whew! Freedom soup takes time to simmer. It requires heat, processing and the breaking down of raw ingredients to produce something heavy, nourishing and sustaining. Sometimes, the unexpected "heat" in our lives is exactly what God uses to serve us our own bowl of liberation. I love how God knows I love to cook and so He will speak to me in ways I will fully understand and research!
Recently, I experienced something that, on a natural level, felt like a sudden shock and a deep disappointment. It looked like a door completely slamming shut on a reality I thought I understood. However, as I sat with God this weekend and today, fasting and laying my heart at His feet, the illusion broke.
I realized that what I thought was a disappointment was actually the hand of God pulling me out of a counterfeit reality. I had misinterpreted a specific road in my life because I was interpreting things through a lens of what I thought my heart desired. I was trying to find meaning in a space that was never built to house my future. (If you come get a facial, maybe I’ll tell you what it was LOL) Anywho, God allowed that structure to collapse because He loved me too much to let me keep building on sand.
He didn't allow the shock to break me but instead He allowed it to break the invisible chains of old expectations, the exhausting habit of wondering if I’m good enough or will I be too much. There is absolutely nothing like truly tasting and digesting spiritual liberty. When God delivers you from a counterfeit scenario, He frees your mind, completely releases you from the opinions of your past and emancipates your future.
The road that led to nothing is officially behind me. Now, I am standing fully on the Rock, looking forward to the new chapters, the new territory and the beautiful and decently ordered route ahead.
If you are walking through a season where something feels like it’s breaking or disappointing you, I want to challenge you to look closer with a fresh, clear lens. God might just be clearing the table so He can serve you a fresh bowl of Freedom Soup.
Luke 6:49 – "But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great."
Don't be afraid of the collapse of what was never built to last. Your true foundation is secure in Christ.
Speaking of freedom, Happy Early Juneteenth!
With love,
Ash
