The idea for this post hit me earlier this week as I put on tennis shoes with my work close for the second week in a row. Being required to do something that I previously judge others for has made me humble. You see, since delivering my daughter I have had a series of health problems. The most recent of which is minor surgery on my feet.

Health Challenges

In the past six months, I have gone to a walk in medical facility at least 5 times. My feet were worked on four times. On top of that, May has been particularly tough. It started with what I thought was seasonal allergies, but transformed from a sore throat, to being unable to talk, to chest congestion, then nasal congestion, then not being able to hear, to finding out that I had an undiagnosed ear infection.

I went a week at work not being able to talk to two weeks not being able to hear. During this time, minor surgery was done on my feet and I was told that to limit the risk of infection, I could not swim or wear open shoes for weeks. Three days after the procedure, my toes were so sore that I was walking awkwardly and I stepped wrong and sprained my ankle. So then I got to use crutches for the first time!

Made Humble

Needless to say, May has not been my favorite month. If your a teacher, you also know that May is one of the most crazy times of year. So, as I put on my tennis shoes, and thought about how tacky I looked, I was truly humbled. I have been thinking that God must have a greater plan in all of this because I cannot believe that my struggles over the past few months are simply coincidences.

In preparation for this post, I found many Scriptures that mention being humble. Many of them state that if you are humble, that’s when you are lifted up in the sight of God.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” 1 Peter 5:6

“When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.” Job 22:29

What a great opportunity! I may be low in other’s eyes. I may even be low in my own eyes, but my God is going to lift me up. God gave me the assurance that He sees me, knows my struggle, and has place that He wants to take me.

Eye Opening

I have also realized that maybe I have judged people harshly. I have looked at others and thought “why are they wearing tennis shoes with that?” It never crossed my mind that they could have a medical reason for it. There is a verse for this as well.

“Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19

This whole situation may be God leading me to a place where I could be humble with the “lowly.” I have a real struggle with judgmental thoughts. When I see a situation things just pop into my mind. I may never say them, but I struggle to control my thoughts. Perhaps now my outlook will be different. I have prayed for God to help me with this. It could be that He had to let me “walk in their shoes” figuratively and literally to get me to a point where I no longer had pride. It’s like when you pray for patience and you expect God to give you patience. Instead He will put you in situations where you need to have patience.

I have been put in situations where I am required to be humble. It is very difficult to have pride when you’re on crutches, wearing tennis shoes with dress clothes, and can’t hear a word someone is saying. I thank God, though, for this opportunity. Not only for allowing me to be humble, but also for bringing me through it all and making me whole.

Martina