Dependency

Let's face it, most of us hate to be dependent on someone else. I know someone will argue with me that there's a lot of people who abuse the welfare system, or their friends and family even, that have no problem making themselves someone else's problem. And I'll even concede to that...yet for the most part the people I come into contact with like to be independent. We value self-sufficiency, strength, determination, oh yeah and just plain sucking it up.

Well, I had to have shoulder surgery a week ago and it's been a wake up call. I now need to be dependent on all kinds of people. I can't drive, but have to go to class...I'm living with a family from church because I can't live alone yet...I used to do dishes for my friends just because I enjoyed it and well they didn't, but tomorrow I'll need to admit although I tried the last few days, I shouldn't...some days I can't even open the prescription bottle! For 3 months I'm not allowed to lift anything or eventually even lift my arm above shoulder height, and then they'll start working on stuff SLOWLY. ARGGGH! So tonight I had Hannah (a 14yo girl I'm living with) cut my hair off all so I could brush it myself. It's made me stop and think why do I value and respect independency so much. Yet God tells us be dependent on him and the bible is full of talk of unity and community. It's said that Satan's ways are the most effective when they present themselves as a friend. Is this independency that is so ingrained in our culture now one of Satan's favorite strongholds? Is something that we see as so positive really in need of being tempered with God's grace? When putting it that way it's hard to say no and keep on living as I have. Thinking back a few years, I already have begun to change that mindset. It came in the little things like not being uncomfortable if someone held the door for me and finally accepting a granola bar from a friend when we're up skiing. I don't know how it would look to live both dependently and still functional with healthy relationships. I'm just starting to think maybe this ideal of ours is bit too high of a priority that comes at the cost of genuine, God-style loving relationships with those around us. There's a book called 'Irresistible Revolution' by Shane Claiborne that talks about living in community. I didn't completely embrace his lifestyle when I read the book. In fact I thought, if everyone goes and puts themselves into his position, who's going to go further from that immediate community and who's going to provide so much more of the help that is still needed. I still do feel that way, but maybe there's more to his ideas then I originally credited them.

Well I got scolded for not writing more. So here's what's going on in my life that's completely honest and humbling. I may not like this stage of life I'm in right now, but I do know I've got a lot to learn from it. I hope you don't need a surgery to find your dependency.