Ouch! Time to Get Out That Splinter!
by Hannah Keeley
I remember when we went on a field trip to Yorktown, Virginia. It was so much fun! Well….it was fun until Kyler and Karis fell down in a patch of sticky briars and thorns and we had to spend the next half-hour picking little burrs out of their clothes and skin.
One of the burrs had splintered off into Karis’ thumb and I was having a horrible time getting it out. I was almost prepared. I had brought along a pair of tweezers, but forgot to carry something just as necessary…
…my reading glasses! I only need them for one eye because I had surgery on it when I was in my twenty’s. But, it was enough to hamper my vision and make me totally incapable of getting out this tiny, obstinate splinter.
Fortunately, Blair’s mom was with us and she offered up her reading glasses. They were stronger than mine, so when I put them on I felt like I had just grown a set of bionic eyes. After I got those miracle glasses, getting out the splinter was no problem at all! Okay, okay, it was a bit embarrassing to borrow my mother-in-law’s reading glasses, but humility always brings with it some awesome results.
Scripture tells us that “before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12). Do you have a problem with pride? It’s funny, because it’s usually the people who have a pride problem that always seem to insist that they don’t. Prideful people are always complicated. They have certain ideas about how things should be done and are very resistant to compromise. They are also difficult. Just ask the people who live with them! They want their way, and are never satisfied with the results of others (in their mind, they can always do it better). If you have a problem with pride, it’s like a splinter that can grow into an infection and destroy relationships, emotions, accomplishments, and so much more. It can easily be a downfall if you don’t do something about it–NOW!
The cure for pride is humility. I didn’t say groveling. I said humility. True humility is one of the strongest character qualities that you can ever develop in your life. God can use humble people because they are open to allowing God to work His mighty power through their lives. Prideful people are useless to God. But the coolest thing about the whole humility thing is that humility comes before honor. As usual, God ways are higher than our ways. It is only when we are humbled and allow God to do His thing, that true honor can be bestowed.
Don’t let that splinter sit any longer. Slip on those humble glasses and get to work!
-Hannah
Hannah Keeley was once in overwhelmed mom living in a cluttered house, deep in debt, out of shape, and barely hanging on. But one day, after finding herself sobbing uncontrollably into a pile of clean laundry, she realized God has bigger and better plans for her (just like He does for each one of His children). Beginning that day, she began making changes in her life that took her from overwhelmed to overjoyed. Today, she’s helping moms do the same. Hannah, her husband, Blair, and their seven children live in Richmond, Virginia, and are having the time of their lives!
Check out Hannah’s Website Here!
