Sometimes my girlfriends and I talk about self-righteousness and pride. We know God hates it. We know we hate it- in ourselves, and in others. Yet it is a most insidious sin...creeping up, invading thoughts, manifesting itself in looks on the face. We would never say what we are thinking, but the judgment is still there. Are you with me?
I pray sometimes against my pride. I tentatively ask the Lord for release from pride. I ask for compassion and humility. While I abhor the sin that is in me, I know that I don't really want a disciplinary session from the Lord on account of my pride.
Been there, done that.
It was no fun.
Well, I guess I have been there and done that on many different occasions. You would think I would learn.
Anyway, for all of the dramatic prologue, this is just a mini-discipline session. I suppose I was getting too self-righteous. So I took a trip to Winco.
It was supposed to last 30 minutes. It took 90. We spilled grapes, pre-emptively opened a Lunchable and promptly spilled that as well, got quietly taken aside by a kind clerk and given our own check-out lane (to the verbal disapproval of two other patrons- yikes!), and had three different "if you don't stop whining, you know what will happen when we get home" whispered sessions.
I thought we were out of the danger zone. But as we walked out, with two kids and an infant carrier in the cart, I forcefully walked right into a big red pole.
The baby started crying. Rebecca dropped her Lunchable again and started crying because she thought she would be getting disciplined for spilling again. And Jackson got a bloody lip from banging his face onto the cart handle.
Awesome.
As I was slinking back to the car, trying to whisper kind words of comfort to my poor children, I had a tap on my arm. I literally jumped while walking. A thoughtful little boy had run after me to give me the phone I had dropped after our crash.
Humbling. Every day needs a little dose of humility. Who is up to join me for my next grocery shopping trip?
I didn't think so. :)
6 comments:
I love how God "keeps it real"! Been there....like the time my 2 year old sat on the side of the cart at Target and fell out...we were at the check out! Or the time I LOST my child in Target! I am so with you. A reminder that we are human, our kids are human, and we have a great big God who loves us in a great big way...especially on those "special" days!
Ha.
Did you know I didn't go grocery shopping alone for THREE YEARS? The second time someone literally turned over the grocery cart and dumped a baby (in a carrier with the handle up, thank the Lord) onto the floor was the last time I went for a very long time.
Emphasis on "long."
Hang in there darling. ;)
Oh my gosh!!! You poor, poor girl. I remember those days still so clearly, I was even coming out a grocery store with my 19 year old the other day and she said, " Do you remember the day we turned over the grocery cart over right here?" I said yep, every time I come out this door, she said, " you didn't take us with you for a long, long time." You know what I wish? I wish I had taken them with me anyway, now that I look back.
I just didn't know that they would grow up so fast.
You always bless me with your stories and your life.
You always seem to me to radiate humility, and kindness.
So I would never know it is a struggle.
Blessings today.
How I adore my mommy friends. Thanks for the stories, dear ones! Tomorrow is a new day :)
Great story. Yes, I agree. You always seem so composed and gracious. Hang in there.
Too funny, Jenny! We have had a very similar story happen at Winco, it ended with me taking Jaylee out because she was screaming so loud, and she knocked my sunglasses off me and they broke and flew under the copy machine in the front. Still to this day, she tells me every time we walk by it, "Mommy, your sunglasses!" ~ Caitlin A.
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