Interdependence

As a prospective missionary pilot ten years ago, one of the things I found most daunting was the idea of raising support. The idea that I should ask people for money at the time was abhorrent to me. I am beginning to come to terms now in a way I didn't then with the roots of that revulsion: Pride. Fierce independence. Disbelief that, when things become critical, God will provide what I need. And perhaps, deep down in there, the desire to keep my relationships slightly off balance in my favor. Maybe I want people to owe me more than I owe them; to need me more than I need them.

What a perverse view of both God and man! When I read Paul, I see him celebrating frailty, because it forces us into dependence first upon God and second upon other people - an intimate, vital connection. As I am stripped of much of what enabled me to live under the illusion of independence, may I be given a new view and a new heart. May I celebrate my dependence upon others and the link that is forged when we drop pretense and admit need. And may I ultimately stop trying to build my own little kingdom, and instead state my fealty to the real King