Summer At The Beach Post #4

The first sign of lacking humility is thinking you are full of it.

Yesterday was a wakeup call to remind me of the importance of humility and that it is a constant battle that no one is exempt from.

Being late to things has not been a problem for me. I’ve never missed a shift for work or day of school and always plan ahead (even to the extreme at times) to make sue everything is in order. Alarms are set well in advance to allow ample time to be ready for the day and on time for every event in my calendar. When people show up late, even just a few minutes, I feel that there is no excuse for their tardiness. My automatic reaction is to judge them for not preparing ahead. This is a reaction I don’t even notice sometimes but it is definitely there.

Well, yesterday morning I had lots of time, since sessions start later on Sundays, so I took that time to go to a coffee shop and spend the morning with God. In the middle of my devotions I began thinking about the “point system” we have here at cannon beach. During orientation it was stressed that you are given 10 points at the start of the summer and every time you disobey a rule, are late, or wear the wrong uniform you loose a point. When all your points are gone you leave for the summer. Well as I sat on the cushioned bench in the coffee shop I began to wonder if anyone had made it the whole summer without getting a point? As my thoughts continued to wonder, it occurred to me that I would be able to go the full summer without a point. I mean I am not going to drink alcohol, or be out past curfew, it would be no problem to stay above board and leave the summer with all ten still intact. The biggest point taker of the summer is being late and that was obviously not a problem for me.

Finishing my Bible study time I found that I still had a few minutes to change my shoes for work. As I was leaving my room, I passed a coworker and an immediate feeling of dread passed over me. She informed me that devotions were at 9:30 and that I was a good ten minutes late to work! I had planned on being there at 9:45! As she informed me that my name had been mentioned in the meeting as being missing, I felt sick to my stomach. She told me that they were doing personal alone time with God till 10:15 so I went back to my room. It got me thinking about how arrogant I had been just that morning to think that I would never break this rule and be late. I was ashamed and embarrassed for the incident but more so for assuming I was above reproach in this area.

That evening during the worship service that pastor spoke on humility and it really hit home. The idea that arrogance does not have to be visible physically but is a matter of the heart stood out as he preached. Others may not have seen assuming that “I would never be like them” in a physical sense but it was definitely there festering in my heart. The pastor spoke on Luke 18 and the parable about the tax collector and the Pharisees “Who trusted themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt (Luke 18:9)” this mirrored what was in my heart and it took a humbling experience to bring me to terms with my self-righteous attitude.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted"

Luke 18:14