Independence #Overrated

    In high school I was looking for independence. I wanted to drive myself places, do my own things, and not be dependent on my parents. In college I realized just how ignorant I was being. At Siena Heights University, I learned about the three levels of maturity. They are dependent, independent, and interdependent.  Babies are dependent on their parents to feed them, bath them, and change their diapers. Independent means you can do everything on your own, choosing when you should go to bed, making sure the bills are paid, fixing up what’s broken around the house, etc. Then there’s interdependence. These are the groups of people who rely on each other to maximize success.

    In football there are different positions with different responsibilities. The quarterback relies on his linemen to block while he looks for an open receiver. The receivers rely on the quarterback to get the ball to one of them in order to advance closer to the end zone. When one succeeds, they all succeed, when one fails, the team is there to recover.

    A time I was very interdependent was in seminary. My dad was in a wheelchair because of ALS, and I wasn’t home to help. We had a community of people who were able to come over and do some of the tasks like putting my dad’s socks on (not as easy as it sounds), getting my dad in and out of bed, weeding, visiting, etc. We were awed by the amount of people ready to help in any way they could. It allowed me to be able to focus on my responsibilities of studying and discerning the priesthood. It also allowed all of us to enjoy the last few months of my dad’s life.

    In Matthew 6:7, Jesus sent his disciples in pairs. James 5:16 calls us to confess our sins and pray for one another. God has been calling us to become more interdependent; are you ready to answer that call?