Are We Really Independent?

           You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 

                                                                                                                  Psalm 139:5

                         Ahhh, the good life. I can do whatever I want! I can go outside when I want. When I want to play I can and I can eat whenever I want. All I need to do is look at my master with my big brown goo goo eyes.

                       Hmm. Do you ever feel like that? Like you can do whatever you want? You can go wherever you want? You're independent and free! Or are you?

                                                              I'm good

               Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

                                                                                                               Psalm 139:7

                     Have you ever thought of us as human beings? You may think, Yeah! We're pretty good. We're intelligent, clean etc. Well, have you thought how fragile we are? Like I look at my fingers. I have all these hang nails, nicks and cuts. My hands dry out horribly during the winter and they look like 70 year old hands instead of a 24 year old's. Our skin can tear from small little cuts to huge gashes. We can break like twigs under certain circumstances, we can lose our balance and get bruised. You may think it's your own brains keeping you from getting terribly hurt or worse. Naw ah, it's God's grace that's keeping the air in your lungs.  

                   I don't drive. I don't think it's a bad thing; I choose not to because I'm not comfortable yet. I've heard my share of "advice" on driving so I could be free and independent. Those who shared their thoughts on my "predicament" meant well but I would assure them I was fine. I don't see being able to drive as the symbol for independence. I could keep going on with this but I won't. I think we as a culture need to change our perspective and thinking. Or let God change our hearts. We think we're good. We don't need anyone, we're our own boss. "I can take care of myself." Ultimately We are all very dependent. Our very life, each breath we take in and every heart beat that pounds in our chests is orchestrated and is choreographed by the God of life. He has already written out our lives like a dance or a sheet of music. We simply can't try to figure out what we think goes with the music of life. We need our Instructor to lead us through this life. 

          O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

                                                              Psalm 139:1-2