Can I help you with that?
No thank you, I can do it myself!
My whole life, I’ve always been a do-it-yourself kind of
girl. I never liked group projects, I always problem-solved and learned how to
fix things on my own, and I would sooner climb on top of a shelf than ask a
tall man at the grocery store to reach that box of cereal that was far out of
my 4 ft 11in reach.
Independence is a pretty glorified thing in Western culture.
If I’m being completely honest, it’s something I have taken pride in. I have
always liked the freedom of doing things on my own. Moreover, relying on other
people and asking for help is something that has always made me cringe. Needing
other people to help navigate life is scary.
As most readers probably know, I moved to Haiti about four
months ago. I packed up two suitcases and went on my way. On the surface, this
11 month journey of moving to a foreign country “on my own” may have seemed
like a pretty valiant and brave venture. However, it has actually been an
incredibly humbling and difficult lesson for me to learn on the value of DEPENDENCE.
Basic things like going to the grocery store, fixing a generator
(which sources power in my apartment), and even ordering a meal in another
language are only a few things on the long list of times in which I have needed
to ask for help since arriving in Haiti. I joke with my friends and family that
every day something new goes wrong and I have to ask for help.
While I certainly wouldn’t say I have completely overcome my
pride and “do-it-yourself” mentality, I have learned that there is great value
in community. Being stripped away from the crutch of self-service culture and
convenience has given me a new perspective.
Some of the greatest relationships I have built here in
Haiti are a direct result of living in community. From basic apartment
maintenance, to shopping trips, to friends flocking over when I saw a “dife”
(fire!) on top of my generator, I am continuously going through a process of
learning to ask for help. Likewise, I am learning to trust others.
God has used these day-to-day challenges to teach me not
only that I need others, but I need Him. I am certain that I could not have
possibly maintained emotional and spiritual sanity in isolation. As I have had
to seek the help of others and the direction and wisdom of God during this
season of “newness” and transition, I have grown to realize my need for a Savior. God has given me peace and challenged me to trust Him when the
world around me has seemed daunting and difficult.
If you find yourself in a state of being overly independent, I encourage
you to be reminded of the value in dependence today. Although you may not be in
a season of “needing others,” I challenge you to cherish the community that you’re
in. If there is someone that is more qualified to do something for you and is
offering to help, let them. If you have an opportunity to work alongside
someone rather than just “doing it yourself,” take the time to do so. God
created us to live in community with Him and others.
Let us never become so prideful of independence that we
neglect the value of community and the value of dependence on our Creator. We are better
together.
Until next time,
Tamara
