Independence

Independence is an important quality to have.  It is something we as humans develop as we go through life, growing from infants, to children, to teenagers, to young adults.  We gain independence as we learn life skills.  We learn to feed ourselves and eventually to make our own meals.  We learn to dress ourselves and develop our own sense of what we like to wear.  We gradually become better able to manage our own lives.  We learn to drive so we can go places without needing to ask someone to give us a ride, or we develop the skills needed to use public transportation.  We get jobs to support ourselves.  Through all of these things, we move away from needing the help of our parents to live a full life.

The early settlements in the United States were much the same.  At first, they were dependent on other countries (France, Spain, and England, for example), but gradually they became self-sufficient.  Just as we may experience “growing pains” and rebel against our parents when we feel like they are not allowing us enough independence, the colonies rebelled against their far-off European rulers.

Nevertheless, we are grateful to those who have helped us along the way to independence:  our parents, our teachers, and even our friends.  If the United States had not had the support of those European countries that sent settlers and, later, missionaries to this country, our American culture would be far less diverse than it is today.

Take time today to thank God for the gift of personal and national independence.