Humble Thyself...

I found out some WAY exciting news today...we are taking a group from my hall and several other halls from ACU to go hear DONALD MILLER (the author of Blue Like Jazz) next Saturday in Dallas!!!! I am WAY pumped-that is going to rock-I need to make sure I finish the book before then!!

There are a couple of things that have really been on my heart lately...first of all, my prayer life is just being formed and shaped a lot lately. During my time in the desert, it was almost nonexistent, and as much as I hate to say it, I think it has taken a long time for me to really bring it back to life. It is just so exuberant now-it's like words just pour out of my heart and mouth to Him-but they are so much more alive than they have been in a LONG time. It is a true blessing-I am SO thankful to my Father-He has just blessed me beyond my wildest dreams could EVER imagine!!!

Secondly, I have just really felt a tug on my heart and soul lately to pray for humility. I oftentimes become way to proud, and tend to focus more on myself than others, and I hate that. It is a struggle that I really have to watch for and work on constantly. I definitely cannot do that in this job that I am in, and I think that is why it has been so heavy on my heart. I know it is a dangerous thing to pray for-but I truly believe that God opens doors when we pray for Him to humble us. The last week and a half that I have been consumed with images and stories from the hurricance have definitely brought me to a different level. I just feel more and more blessed every day-everytime I drink a bottle of water or take a shower I am more and more thankful for it, and at the same time-sometimes I feel guilty. We have been doing a lot this week to help the evacuees out that are supposed to be coming here-but of course, I always feel like I could do more. I saw a guy the other night on TV say, "I am not an evacuee, I am an American!!" That one statement put a lot of things into perspective for me. I think, and mainly because of the way the media has been portraying them, we look at these people as almost 3rd world country citizens, but they are our neighbors, our fellow Americans, and if something like this happened in my neighborhood...I would sure hope that they would want to help us out, but not see me as a "refugee". It just really made me look at them differentely-they are God's children, too, and we have been given such a time as this to reach out to them. To whom much is given, much is expected!! I just hope that this hospitality and generosity does not run out 3 months down the road when they still have nothing to return back to.

Anyway, I will step off my soapbox now...I'll just keep praying that God can humble me, shape me, and use me for His service. I pray that we can all continue to do the same...

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time". ~ I Peter 5:5