Making a superhero out of weakness

There is a strange awareness of my vulnerability and helplessness that frightens me at times. It is the realization that I am unable to save myself, despite my greatest efforts and the most strategic planning. I fall helpless into the mighty hands of God. It is not that I don't trust God's goodness or His faithfulness, it is simply the awareness and reality of just how vulnerable I am. My weakness scares me. It causes me to want to hide, to protect myself. I remember living in Alaska and while hiking one day I paused for a break. I heard the heavy breathing of a bear but could not see him. My heart raced, my thoughts overwhelmed me - if I ran he might run after me. If I stood still would I face him eye to eye? No decision seemed right for one simple reason - he was more powerful than me. I felt powerless in his hands even though I had never seen him. It is a strange feeling to be confronted with your weakness in such a moment. I sensed I was in danger and powerless to stop it. I obviously lived, by very slowly and quietly walking away until I was out of site and then I ran as fast as I could for a mile!
What is it we fear with financial difficulty, relational failure, loss of our reputation or a career suddenly brought to nothing? Is it not primarily the sheer awareness of our vulnerability and weakness? Is it not what we love about The Secret? Is it not why we love watching talk shows or reading tabloids and seeing others weaknesses exposed. Somehow, it seems strangely comforting to know we are not alone in this. And yet, it seems hardly able to quench the flames of fear and and insecurity we feel about our nature.
Interesting how God seems to cherish such an awareness. In Psalms 51:17 we read that He loves the contrite (that means one whose confidence in himself is shattered), He says 'this is the one I esteem who who is humble and contrite and who trembles at my Word.' Why is it that God would love such an awful awareness for us? Does he not know what a scary and awful reality it is for us? Yes, He does know because Christ Jesus came into this beautifully design of electric clay and water. He certainly knows. Perhaps He knows what is much worse - the avoidance of that reality. What if avoiding it and trying to mask it with superhero powers and conquests was really destroying us more than the frighful reality we are trying to escape? What if He, in His loving desire for friendship with us, has seen a luminous being named Lucifer avoid reality to his own demise. What if, he is actually loving us in our suffering and affliction? Maybe avoiding the reality is the premise for pride?
If this is true, then our financial hardship, relational failure, suffering in sickness and acts of injustice could be a blessed opportunity to avoid a proud heart that would cause us to miss the intimacy with God we so long for. Maybe we have it all backwards and need to rethink the way we view affliction. Maybe God is far more merciful than we realize and the patience He has with us is more than we've grasped.