Hi Friends,

Today I had lunch with a friend. We went to a “tea room” after Bible study. It’s a charming little place with yummy food and an attentive staff. We were sitting near a woman talking on the phone. I heard her say, “It was the camel that broke the straw…or whatever the expression is.” I didn’t acknowledge that I’d heard it or anything, but I found that so amusing. The tiny incremental burden of another piece of straw is such a funny contrast to a camel breaking the straw!

Yet I can easily see myself saying something like that. Not long ago I was observing a pair of Danish boys climb out of the car for school.

“See you later,” one called out to his mother.

I found this so interesting that I couldn’t resist. “Do you always speak English at home?” I asked.

“Yes,” the handsome teenager confirmed.

I was so confused. “Why?” I prodded.

“English is the only language we know,” he answered.

Yep! Turns out these boys look like the boys from Denmark, but they were American. I asked Caucasian American boys why they speak English at home! They probably thought, “That tall lady has issues.”

I’m sure the woman on the phone in the tea room was probably humbled by how she mangled the expression. I was certainly humbled by my little inquiry of the non-Danish boys.

Do you have something that has humbled you recently? How have you had an opportunity to extend grace to someone who messed up? Even small embarrassments are opportunities to acknowledge we are imperfect. And overlooking slight offenses also trains us to be forgiving.

Proverbs warns that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (16:18). May we heed the warning.

Ponder these words from The Valley of Vision: “Destroy in me every lofty thought, Break pride to pieces and scatter it to the winds, Annihilate each clinging shred of self-righteousness, Implant in me true lowliness of spirit.”

The Puritans knew how to bang out some strong verbs for lasting effect! Yes, Lord destroy, break, annihilate and scatter what is impure in me, and instead implant your Spirit.

Blessings,

Kristie

(pictured above my pumpkin chai latte at the tea room)