I don't hate the occasional hail. It's not that I can't stand the downpours at a moment's notice. I don't despise the peeling thunder that shakes my house or lightning flashes that streak across the sky and down into some other subdivision, setting fire to someone's utility shed. It's not even the unsettling cool breeze or the darkening afternoon sky that gets me down. It's what happens before each storm rolls in that drives me crazy during these summer days in Jacksonville.
When I was playing volleyball in high school, I hyper-extended my left elbow. Well, truth be told, the kid who drifted out of his position on the power angle hyper-extended my left elbow. Boy, if I saw that kid today, I'd- oh. Sorry, I digress. Anyway, it was pretty gross, and it hurt like crazy, but there was no permanent damage...or so I thought. As I've gotten older, my elbow routinely stiffens, cracks, and hurts. But just before the storms come, which is an everyday occurrence this time of year, things go south in a hurry - it begins to ache. Most times, it's tolerable, but occasionally, it's a killer, and there seems to be nothing I can do about it.
My elbow is aching again, but there's no rain coming (at least not yet). The storm is in James 4:9, and it's going to be a whopper. But for now, I'm just going to deal with the ache, and take a moment to look back at where we've been.
This entire blog was (is) an exploration into humility for me, and I had (and still have) hopes that what I discover may have value for you. My journey began with James 4:10:
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."
Thankfully, in the preceding verses, James addressed the process of humbling oneself. Here's how it breaks down:
1. Submit to God (see "Tapping Out", "Tapping Out...Again", and "And in This Corner...")
2. Resist the devil (see "Viva La Resistencia!")
3. Come near to God (see "Come a Little Bit Closer...")
4. Wash your hands (see "Feeling a Little Dirty?")
5. Purify your hearts (see "Humility...with Fava Beans, and a Nice Chianti")
During this time, I've also gotten to share some reflections involving my 11th wedding anniversary, as well as an INCREDIBLY powerful video of humility in action (if you haven't watched this yet, please take a moment to do so...it'll knock you out).
But coming up next week, we travel into territory that's far from comfortable; next week, we "grieve, mourn, and wail". Have a great rest of the week, and get ready for the storm.
Your elbow hurtin' yet? Mine is killin' me.
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