Be Humble, Be Teachable

Four words. Just four words. So simple. Yet at times...so difficult.

Those four words sum up an important lesson that God had to teach me several years ago when some friends who had the best of intentions challenged me on the wisdom of adopting my daughter as a single mother. No need to go into detail on those challenges, but needless to say, it was not an easy time. Part of me wanted to get defensive...and I probably did get defensive from time to time. Let's be honest here. But the message God continued to give me was:

Be humble. Be teachable.

I am so thankful that I listened to Him. It was indeed God's plan for me to proceed with the adoption. But those challenges I faced in those initial months actually helped me to more effectively balance the time spent mothering my daughter with the time spent on work and ministry. Without those challenges, I might have floundered. That, I think, comes from the "Be teachable" part of the lesson.

Because I learned the "Be humble" part of the lesson, my friends and I were able to weather that difficult period of time with relationships intact. For that, I am so very grateful.

Image found here

Have you ever noticed that sometimes God repeats the same lessons from time to time. Sometimes, that is because we didn't learn it the first time around. Sometimes, He simply wants us to learn to apply it in new ways in new situations. He wants us to expand our grasp of the lesson.

I'm going through a bit of that right now as I adjust to life back in the United States after twenty years in Indonesia. Over there, I had help to do quite a lot of the normal household tasks that I need to do myself here. I'm not doing horribly at those things, but I must admit that even six months after returning to the United States, I still haven't gotten on top of some of them, (Let's not go into detail about exactly what those things are.) 

A dear person who has my best interests at heart is helping me get on top of these things. If I am perfectly honest, part of me sometimes gets defensive, and sometimes I might wish this person wouldn't point out the things that have been left undone.

Yesterday, as I was struggling with this, the Holy Spirit spoke those four words into my heart.

Be humble. Be teachable.

OK Lord. We've been through this before. 

I have already seen the positive outcome of putting this lesson into practice.

It may not always be fun. 
I may not always like what I hear.

But it is good. 
It is for the best.

I will grow through the experience.
I will find peace.

Relationships will remain intact, 
growing even deeper and stronger.

Lord, help me to always...always...

 Be humble.

Be teachable.

Be Yours.

Scraped Elbows and Bruised Ego: Minor Motorcycle Mishap Makes Me Mortified

 Ok, ok.  Maybe “mortified” is a bit too strong a word.  “Embarrassed” would be more accurate, but I needed the “M” for alliteration. So what in the world happened?  Well, it’s like this.

I had to hit the ground running this morning because I had forgotten to set my alarm.  I woke up fifteen minutes before Rachel was supposed to be at school.  Thankfully, she was alert enough that she shifted easily into high gear with me and we made record time getting ready for school.  She was still going to be a bit late, but this is Indonesia, and everything runs on rubber time here.  It was entirely possible that no one would notice.

I locked up the house and drove my motorbike, Harley Junior, outside the gate.  (I introduced Harley Junior in an earlier post called “Harley Junior and I Find a Way of Escape”.) Rachel locked the gate and hopped on the back. I knew almost immediately that something was wrong.  The back tire bumped along the road.  It was going flat.  I hoped that it would hold out long enough to get Rachel to school. No such luck.  Halfway down the street it was obvious I had to stop.

I asked a friend who lived a couple doors down from where we stopped if I could borrow her motorbike to take Rachel to school. She agreed. After I got Rachel safely to school, I gratefully returned the borrowed bike. Then I had to look for a pres ban dalam, a place that fixes flat tires.  There was one near my house, so I began to push Harley Junior in that direction. That direction, wouldn’t you know it, was uphill all the way. I left the engine run so it could help power the bike up the incline. For the sake of control, I sat on the seat, but keping my feet on the ground so I could spare some wear and tear on the flat tire, I walked Harley up the biggest incline.