July 4th. Our nation's Independence Day. So much more than fireworks, cook-outs and outings on the lake. The day that the American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and declared their independence from Great Britain.
But what is independence? Simply defined, independence is freedom from outside control or support. So, in reality, is independence -- whether on a whole, or individually, truly attainable? I don't know. From the time we are born, we are (hopefully) learning various forms of independence. From learning to walk unassisted to learning to talk and dress ourselves, our dependence upon others lessens -- or does it? Again, I don't know.
Humans are, by nature, self-centered creatures, and that nature often is dependent upon other people or other things. We want what we want, when we want it. Think of a baby. He cries because he's hungry, and he wants food now. He screams because he is wet, and he wants a dry diaper now. He wails because he wants attention, and he demands it now. Of course, we expect that from an infant, but does it really go away, as we age? Maybe. Maybe not.
A few days ago, I witnessed such a display of selfishness at a pool. A sweet little girl was so happy to be enjoying an afternoon of play and fun at a beautiful, resort pool. She splashed on the steps. She danced to the music on the clubhouse radio. She was having a grand time, until her mother began packing up, indicating that it was time to leave. The sweet, charming nature of the little dark-haired girl was immediately replaced with a devilish brute of a child that screamed and stomped, "I don't want to go!" The screaming and stomping went into a full-fledged fit, and the mother begged and pleaded with the child to calm down. (Of course, my parenting style would have been a bit different, perhaps, truly giving the child something for which to scream; but that is another topic, for another day!) Seeing this child in the throws of a tantrum was not pleasant, but it reminded me of how, so often, we base our happiness on others and our dependence upon them. This child was dependent upon a mother who had chosen a time to leave the pool. The little girl knew she couldn't stay there alone, but rather, would try to dissuade her mother to remain. She was exerting her independence in the only way that she knew.
Is this really so different than our actions, sometimes, as adults. We want what we want when we want it, and it is usually NOW! Although, hopefully we do not throw tantrums (right!), we do often resort to a variety of tactics to get our way. We are also dependent upon things, people, addictions, whims, desires. You name it, and we are dependent upon it. Our happiness depends on a good job; a handsome boyfriend; a fast car; a strong, investment portfolio; an Ivy-league education; the proverbial house with a white-picket fence. We thrive when we are able to keep up with the Joneses, or the Browns, or the Kardashians -- whoever the familial flavor of the month currently might happen to be. So, if our happiness and livelihoods are so dependent upon such, are we truly ever independent? I would say, no.
Some dependence can be healthy. I depend upon my husband for so much. He is my best friend; he's the father of my children; he's the main financial provider for our family. He also depends upon me. It's a partnership. I depend upon my friends, and they, in turn, rely on me. It's what we do -- we "do life" together. I depend upon my church family, and we hold tight during troubled times. A "village" can take on many forms, but villagers depend upon one another.
As I think of this Independence Day for our country, I am sad. I'm sad because I still believe that we live in the greatest country in the world; however, this country has declared its independence from God in so many ways. So many of us in this country have simply pushed God aside. We live by our own rules, and God's way is seen as old fashioned and outdated. So many of us have lost any perception of a need for God. We seek to be free to do what we want, and to be whoever we want to be. It's our right. It's our freedom and our perceived independence, and it's in those freedoms and liberties, that many have become liberated from God.
In contrast, true freedom or independence comes only in a dependence in God. Things will fade, rust, and lose usefulness. People will disappoint, desert, or even die. We will often fail ourselves miserably. We simply cannot keep all of the balls in the air -- no matter how much we pretend to be in control of every minute of every day of our lives. It is only when we gain a total dependence upon God that we can finally gain the freedom and independence we truly desire.
So, tonight, on this 4th of July, I am indeed thankful to be a citizen of this great United States. It is a blessing; but leaders flounder; governments fail; and countries fall. I'm more thankful to have the freedom that only comes from total dependence upon the Father.
