Humble Run

A definition that comes up for humility is: freedom from pride or arrogance. I like this because it views humility as a blessing and views it from a positive perspective. I have really been in a season of learning what true humility looks like, when actions are fueled by humility and when thoughts are motivated in a humble heart. And lately for me being humble has equaled being vulnerable and honest. which is what I am about to do!!!

Last night I was talking with a friend, ( you know who you are! love you sweet girl!!) and I shared a story about how I really had some hard times struggling with body image. I freshman year I stopped playing softball and hit puberty and was on a meal plan in the dining hall, college cafeteria food is delicious but not what my body was used to. All these new things in my life, caused me to gain about 20-30 pounds, something I had never experienced. Growing up I was always moving and always athletic so I never thought twice about my body. My freshman year of college I also got my very first social media account and thus the enemy of comparison set in. For about a year and a half I fell into a hole of picking apart my body and trying to hide the fact that I was struggling. Why? i felt if I shared this, people would talk down to me, or look at me as if I wasn't grateful, and just crazy things, so I kept it to myself. It wasn't until I was out of that season did I start to share that story. AND last night after sharing this, we had a conversation and she said that she struggles with the same thing, yet doesn't bering it up because she doesn't think either 1- people would care or 2- people would understand.

After talking with her, I went home and I prayed alot for God to show me why we feel like this sometimes, why do we hold parts of our lives in the dark, and He showed me the answer of pride. PRIDE IS A STINKER let me tell you. Pride keeps us from connecting, from being honest with ourselves and others, and I think pride makes us judgemental on so many levels. I might do a whole other post on pride but it is such an enemy because, pride's aim is to make more of ourselves and less of God. So if I am in a prideful state of mind, OF COURSE I am going to hide my struggles because that is going to make me seem more put together, of course I am not going to ask for help because that means I don;t have all the answers. This was so eye opening to me because humility is the cure to pride.

Humility makes us equal, it makes us obedient and in need of God's word and grace. It makes us want to connect with the people around us because they can help us through whatever we are going through. Humility makes us hungry for God's plans and God's purpose and people. When we have a humble mindset, was see people as friends, ALL people not just the ones who have something in common with us, everyone. Strangers, "enemies", the people society tells us are too far gone to love, no humbleness reveals the truth. It has revealed to me that everyone is struggling with something, everyone has experienced joy, it is not going to be the same situation that you experienced it in, but they have a common ground. Joy is joy and hardships are hardships, there is no better or worse than each other.

Phillipians 2 talks about how Jesus the SON OF GOD, humbled himself and was a servant. He had every reason to see himself above others, but yet he love ALL, the rich and the poor, the healthy and sick, because he didn't have pride, or an image to keep up. He knew who made him and He knew who he answered to at the end of the day. He didn't put up a front for people to admire and then behind close doors become someone else. Jesus was completely humbled. That is what I strive for.

Humility is a freeing feeling!! for me it made me reach out to others and God in a way I never have before. Humility is a blessing and something we get to choose. Get rid of pride, or arrogance, or image, and RUN, Run like Forrest Gump to humility. I think it scared me for a long time because when your humble you can't hide behind anything, you can't pretend, you are open and now I remind myself everyday: Run to that, towards goofiness, compassion, kindness, tears, struggles, laughter, run to it all, don't be afraid, that is where God is.

So, In my efforts to be updated and cool, as kendrick lamar said ( don't know who that is, thought it was Drake totally being honest) BE HUMBLE!!!