Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 The Message Bible

 Independence is a phony thing. When you and I were little tots, we clambered and crawled toward the day of self-support; “soon I will do it myself.” And now, anywhere we want to go and most of what we want to do, we can accomplish without anyone’s help. Right? Today I am reminded of a dear older gentleman who taught me a thing or two about this subject. He was close to 90 when we met. I would go see him periodically on Wednesday afternoons for about 3 years straight. And every visit, I would learn something new about him, about Oklahoma, or about the world in general. There seemed to be no place or subject he wasn’t well-versed in. In my estimation, he had accomplished more in his lifetime than anyone I had ever known. And yet, he was wise enough to know at the twilight of his years, he couldn’t do some of the things he used to on his own. So, he had caregivers who assisted him with most of his day-to-day chores. No, he wasn’t too proud. When he was traveling the world, fighting the war, and surviving the Dust Bowl, he couldn’t do it on his own then, either. He learned his success and survival was directly connected to his relationship with the Lord. To the naked eye, this man was as independent as they come. But to the open heart and listening ear, he was the epitome of a “fruit-full” fellow well-connected to the vine. May we all learn and follow!

Lorenzo