Welcome to my eclectic journey of my life and delights. This year my theme is surrendering my writing pen to the true author, Jesus Christ, while looking forward to the future, reflecting on the past and dancing through my journey.




Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Humble Pie

Humble Pie - the type of pie we usually don't want a piece of, yet life always serves it up on many types of plates.

I am not a fiction reader, although I am trying to learn to read more for just pure entertainment.  The Hawk and the Dove is one of my all time favorite fiction novels.  Within this trilogy set in a Monastery, the Monk walks through a season of eating humble pie.  Delivering the most powerful illustration of humble pie, my father, who doesn't read fiction, commented on the power of this chapter. I recall this chapter every time I experience the same.

As a mother of six children and 55 years here on earth, I have had plenty servings of humble pie.  As  a parent, I learned early in my parenting that if I ever wanted to impress anyone with my children's behavior, that almost guaranteed I would be dished up a hearty serving of humble pie.  What was ironic is this humble pie would usually be served on a plate meant for desiring to witness for Christ.  One wise friend counseled me one day, after something with one of my small children's actions, "Janette, if you are going to take credit for your child's failures, you will take credit for their successes!"   She desired for me to learn early that it was God who was at work in my children's lives for His glory.  Her advice stayed with me for decades and came back to land again last week.

I received an email from the director of Benjamin's school.  The email just said, "I am giving  your SON an award tomorrow.  If you can make it to the assembly that would be nice."  That was weird, it wasn't the end of the grading period when awards were given.

I arrived for the morning assembly. I noticed there weren't any other parents.  One of the faculty members came to ask me to come inside the gym. I came in set down, and wondered, "what is going on?"   The director started out explaining a new award for this year.  Each teacher would nominate a student who encouraged them to come to work each day.  She would begin this year with the student she nominated.  She went on to explain about this student.  I was listening, not realizing, she was talking about my son.  After a few words, she said, "Ben Wright".  To my shock and Benjamin's he was who she selected out of the whole student body.





Humble Pie - the good tasting one, yet the one that leaves you speechless.   As her words continued I stood to take pictures.  I forced back the tears, as I called out to God, "what are you doing?"  The gentle whisper in my spirit was, "it is for MY GLORY, don't touch it!"  How humbling is that?  It wasn't for me to look good in front of staff or other parents or anything to say, "look I have done well parenting my son!"  It was more the, in spite of all your weaknesses, He will still work all things for his good.


Later that day, while still being dazed by the morning events I was served up a very heavy dose of Humble Pie.  The humble pie that leaves you weak, faint, sick at your stomach kind.  The one that if you don't handle it right there will be a huge price to pay.  This humble pie was eaten with "I am in control" spoken from the Lord.  If He could use Benjamin for His glory, then He would also use this humble pie also.

One humble pie is framed and the reminder hangs for us to see.  The other humble pie is in the process of being walked out with God's grace.  As my head hit the pillow that night the advice from my wise friend rang through my head again, "Janette, if you take credit for their failures, you will take credit for their success."



8 Joining in with more words:

Farm Girl said...

How wonderful for Benjamin. That is awesome! Oh well that is just life. Its always a good reminder to us though. I admit I have eaten more humble pie at this point in my life, and I still don't like its taste. :)
Good for you Janette! God is so good, all of the time.

Debbie said...

How exciting and wonderful this is! Good for Benjamin! And let me tell you that I too have eaten enough humble pie to know I don't like it's taste at all.....

I remember vividly saying those VERY words practically as your friend to a dear woman who was praising my "mothering" abilities one Sunday after a particularly anointed message by my son.
If she or anyone else thought I could take ANY of the credit for this man of God then they were sadly mistaken. God has done ALL of the work there. And if I were dumb enough to feel like I deserved the credit, then that HAD to mean I had to take all the credit for all the bad things my 4 kids have done as well. And TRUST ME I don't want that, lol. I did my best, but I know that without God working hard in their lives, we'd be no where at all.

This was a great post! Soo happy for Benjamin, and for the glory he brought to our God, and for the happy moment of joy it brought you too!

Christine said...

Girl... this is one for the books!
Such great words from your friend and recalled at just the right moment. Another Humble Pie moment.

Yes, God is in control!

Giving God all the glory!

Vee said...

Isn't He a wonderful God to walk us through our sessions of eating humble pie? I know that you are proud of Benjamin. Any mom would be! Praying for the other concern that God is leading through.

podso said...

We loved the Hawk and Dove trilogy. In fact I read them out loud to my husband. I almost forgot it was fiction.
The award that Benjamin received is my favorite kind of award…it says so much about character. I know you are proud…and humbled!

podso said...

Like your new header.

Cecilia Marie Pulliam said...

Congratulations, proud mamma. Our children do learn from example, and I am certain Ben has picked up many of your personality traits and I am sure your strong faith is at the root of it all. That is a priceless gift to give your children.

Just when I think I am doing well on my journey, I too end up eating huge amounts of humble pie, and chastise myself for days over it. Praying that your slice isn't too big, and you have a chance to rectify the situation and move forward with peace and forgiveness.

Pom Pom said...

Good words, J! I love your mothering heart! Yay BEN!

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