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."