Greetings from the land of the Bible!
It’s a hazy day, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, but I was able to snap a few pictures from the upstairs balcony of the guesthouse where I am staying with about 10 other women. We arrived this afternoon from Romania, and are preparing for the other ladies who will be joining us for our upcoming retreat.
I anticipated that I’d be a bit more tired than I actually am having just finished one retreat and already starting another, BUT GOD…He seems to be re-fueling me and I am excitedly looking forward to our new group of gals.
As is typical, when we close out one retreat, we do a debrief to discuss how things went, what we learned, what might need changing, and evaluating not just what the Lord did in our attendees, but what He was speaking to us, individually.
This debrief in Romania ended rather differently than any I’ve attended before. As the Holy Spirit began to move during our sharing time, there were a lot of hard things that came up, things that we wouldn’t have been able to address had we not formed a unique bond and community. Some vulnerable tidbits that only reveal themselves in safe settings. Seriously, I applauded the honesty and transparency of our volunteers.
As we spoke together, one of the ladies shared an illustration she often uses. She referred to how much better it is to get stuff out in the open, off of our chests, and not just present what she calls “varnished poop.” ?
That got me thinking.
I have some varnished poop…just happens to be elephant poop from Kenya.
(Photo courtesy of my husband back home…the cup is to give you perspective of size)
It was a gag birthday gift for my husband from a dear friend of ours, who recently passed away. Karen would love that there was a “spiritual application” for her gift…
And, of course, the application has to do with humility.
A few weeks back (here’s the link), I mentioned that the word “humble” comes from a Latin word “humus.” It means “of the earth.”
In order to be humble, we need to be brought “low” – to the ground – and, humus is the actual decomposition of dead materials, including animal waste. As it rots, rich soil is formed…out of the decay come lush vegetation and good growth.
Here’s the lesson:
humble folks are honest folks
They are willing to be vulnerable and transparent!
They are willing to go low, in order to be lifted up.
If we want to walk in humility, we can’t let the “junk” inside of us just sit, nor can we varnish it and try to make it look pretty on the outside, simply hoping we’ll fool somebody else that we are something we really aren’t.
Humble people find their safe community and let the waste within come out…and, after it does, the decomposition process can begin…
As it decomposes, it becomes something of great benefit and value to others.
So, like me, do you have any varnished waste sitting around?
Maybe there’s something far better you can do with it!
It seems one can never quit learning humility lessons.
