Humility Through Humiliation “Lord, please give me a pure heart of humility.”
The prayer flowed easily as I made my way to the conference at which I was to speak. Presenting a project worked on over the past year was about to make its debut and if all went well—it would be a good day.
It hadn’t been a solo project by any means as I had enlisted many a volunteer to get-erdone, so to speak. There had been the Theological editing needed, the ebb and flow of content written, as well as the reading and the rereading of each page.
Prayer and perseverance were the mainstays as the hours, days, and months added up. When the day came to unveil it, my hope was others would see value in the work and as hesitation began to take hold, stress rose within causing my cheeks to blush along with one eye in full bloom. Having left my medication for such a time as this at home, I had no choice but to pretend all was well as I nudged the frame of my glasses down just enough to cover the redness.
Right before bringing in the items which were to be placed on display, I confidently led the person in charge out to my car. With confidence, I reassured them that everything was under control and opened the trunk.
Just as I lifted the latch unleashing the hatch, out onto the parking lot each color coded box tumbled. One by one the items met the tar with a thud. After nervously assessing the damage, I quickly plopped everything back into the box as nervous laughter covered a multitude of feelings revealing even further my shaken confidence.
A humble tumble sort of set the stage, if you, before I took it. He had answered my prayer. Weeks have passed since then and as I rehashed it one day to a friend, they had a story all their own. I won’t divulge my source, but trust me, it’s true.
“Sort of reminds me,” he said as he recalled happenstances of his own.
“Many years back I’d spoken at a camp up in Canada. Afterwards, the young teens all gathered round, telling me what a great job I’d done. And man—was I soaking it all in! I felt so good and was really feeling it when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a bird flew over, splattering bird p___ all over my cheek!”
As laughter ensued, we agreed that the humility of humiliation can truly bring us to our knees in the hour of need. He keeps us leaning not on our own understanding, but asks that in all our ways we acknowledging Him so He will continue to direct our paths…as it states, “He will direct our paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).
Be careful what you pray for is what some say. I say, be bold in what you pray for cause after all, we truly do want it to be about Him and not about us— that no man may boast just as Eph. 2:9 and 1 Cor. 1:29 make mention of.
Finally, as I stood upon the stage that afternoon, delighted in the thought it could possibly be recorded along with the other speakers, I was excited. I delighted in the thought that the person for whom the project was completed might be able to view it long distance. I spoke with passion. I spoke with due dignity. I spoke with confidence in getting the message across. And when it was all said and done, I braved it. I braved it by going back into the speakers who had been recorded and watched the presentation upon the stage. These were the words where the afternoon recording began.
“And thank you, Kathleen, for presenting the project.”
No more—no less. That was that and now, with clear certainty the prayer for a pure heart of humility twas indeed answered—that no man may boast. Amen.
10-10-22
