Eating Humble Pie

What's your favorite pie?

Mine is pecan followed by butterscotch cream pie. I'm an expert at eating those and also one called humble pie. I'd like to think six decades of life along with 15 years of care managing four senior family members has beaten out all my pride. Mostly, that's true.

But there are time when it's not. I go off on my high horse and get served another good helping with whipped cream on top. I offer an opinion that I'm sure I'm right about, only to find out I'm wrong. Some people are naturally more humble, my husband for example, whose gentle shy disposition doesn't lead him into the situations like I get into.

Part of it are my chosen careers: physician and writer. In medical school I was taught to strive for being 100% correct, or else my patients might suffer or even die. Talk about pressure.

With writing, once you publish something, you stand in the public square, subject to praise or derision. Kind of like being held in the old wooden stocks, where people could jeer or throw rotten veggies or fruits at you. (Please don't throw broccoli-I'm allergic.)

Pride always goes before a fall. In fact, it can be a literal fall. When our kids were in high school, they both sang and performed a lot with choirs and in school plays. I proudly wore a new fancy beaded evening shawl for the first time along with a pair of high-heeled winter boots. I thought I looked pretty sharp for a middle-aged mom.

Until I had to leave and re-enter the auditorium. You guessed it. As I came back in, my heel caught on something and sent me flying forward, down onto all fours. Thankfully, the lights were off. It was still humiliating. My wrists and knees didn't appreciate it. I'd just eaten humble pie again, big time.

I'd forgotten the lesson of 1 Peter 5:5:

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. Are there areas of pride you need to work on in your life?

2. What are ways to deal with pride in our lives? Look up Scriptures on humility, and you will find plenty of good advice. "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." Are there things you can do differently