Humility Flows Down

The other day, I accidentally whopped my three-year-old on the arm while slinging my giant mommy arms around.

She grabbed her arm and proceeded to cry aloud--"OUCH! You hurt me mommy!!"

Usually, I would tell her something like "Oh, you're all right. You'll be ok." After all, that's what my parents always told me when I was little, so that's the way you are supposed to deal with it, right?

No, no, no. That method is actually NOT dealing with the issue. And as the Lord has been helping me to deal with my issues instead of letting them pile up, a different method had to be used.

So, I turned to my three-year-old and said...(with much effort because I'm the boss, right? I'm mommy, I'm always supposed to be right, right?) I said "I'm sorry."

She, of course, being wonderfully full of forgiveness like most little kids are towards their parents, heard what I said and ran off to continue her preschooler adventures for the day.

Was the apology for her? No. It was for me. I am the one that needed to say "I'm sorry". I needed to get off my I'm-the-boss-I'm-always-right high-horse and admit that I was wrong.

It was a lesson in humility. And the Lord loves to teach me moments like that--how to be humble. He can work with humble. He can use me in great ways when I am humble. Can He do the same when I am prideful? No, I don't think so. Being full of pride causes me to be in the way of what God wants to do in and through my life. So, I thank the Lord for teaching me to be humble through my three-year-old.

But that's not even the best part!

After the effort it took to say "I'm sorry" (and to say it genuinely!), I was very delighted to hear the very same words come from my three-year-old's mouth later that very day!

Not only did I learn a lesson in humility, but I saw first-hand how that humility goes a LONG way...It flows down!

So I will make more efforts in the future to exhibit humility whenever I can, so that it will flow down into my children and possibly my children's children and my children's children's children...may the good keep going and never stop!