My Independence Day

Today may be Independence Day, but it’s nothing very special to most people. They’ll maybe have a picnic and watch fireworks, and perhaps even spend a few minutes thinking about what happened on this date way back in time somewhere. But mostly it’s a day to get off work, to have an excuse to party or get together with friends, and very few will bother to spend any time reflecting on the true meaning.

But today has a very different meaning for me. Yes, it is my countries Independence Day, but it’s also MY Independence Day. Today is the 32 anniversary of the day I gave up my independence. What, you say that doesn’t make any sense, well, to the world, it doesn’t. But to me, it is the most important decision I ever made in my life. I decided to put my independence aside and put myself in the hands of God. Today is the anniversary of the day I accepted Christ as my Savior, and truly discovered freedom. I gave up my independence and am now free. Free from bondage to sin. That doesn’t mean I still won’t sin, I’m not perfect, though I’m striving to get there, but sin no longer owns me. I now have an inner strength I can draw on that allows me to make decisions based on something other than the desires of the world. The problem is, I don’t always remember to call on that inner strength. I still, even after 32 years, try to “do things my way” until I utterly fail and remember that I don’t have to do it alone.

Today is a day of reflection for me. It is a day to look back and see what changes have come about in my life. In some areas, not nearly as many things have changed as I would like. But in contrast to that, I see evidence of changes in my life I could never have imagined possible. I am actually willing and able to stand before the world and share my innermost thoughts, as evidenced by my willingness to write this and actually post it. I’m no longer hiding from life, sitting in a corner hoping no one will notice me, and then crying out in loneliness because my wish was granted. I’m no longer running from one silly idea to another, trying to discover who I am.

I am a child of God, my Father owns all the riches of the world, and I am an heir to them. This is my Independence Day.