Through Humble Eyes

Just recently, I have seen a change in Carl’s demeanor that has truly touched my heart. Instead of jumping up on my grandchildren, he has begun to lay down on the ground so that these little people can pet and snuggle close to him. He also has demonstrated this humble stance when we have visited my father-in-law in the assistive living complex in which he lives. Carl will hunch down beside several of the elderly that reach down from their wheelchairs to pet his silky coat. Everyone has benefitted from Carl’s actions including Carl as he gets the attention he so desperately desires.

It can be extremely difficult to be humble towards others, particularly when they hurt you. I know that the last thing on my mind is to want to help others that have intentionally hurt me. But by reading God’s word, I have come to a strong conviction that He can only use us when we are in a humble stance.

I read a story in the Bible about a young girl’s humility and how it had a far reaching impact. Imagine a young preteen who is at her home with her family and the door is broken down and men come rushing through with swords raised. Before her very eyes, her parents are executed and she is taken captive. The young girl is taken to a foreign country and becomes a slave in the home of the commander of the army that enslaved her.

I can’t imagine the emotions that could have held her prisoner. I am sure I would have felt fear, anger, and a sense of loss to name a few. And to make it worse, the young girl had to see the man that was responsible for her hurt every day.  But instead of becoming bitter, the young girl focused on her God that was bigger than her.

She discovers that her master has developed leprosy, an agonizing death sentence. With no cure, he could spend the remainder of his years isolated from society and suffering from the physical and emotional pain that comes from this disease.

This is when the story becomes a reflection of how God can work in the hearts of the humble. This young girl could have easily kept quiet and thought in her heart that he was getting exactly what he deserved but she speaks up.  In 2 King 5:2, it states, “She said to her mistress, ‘”If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”’

Notice the exclamation mark after the sentence. She apparently was adamant about her master seeking out the prophet.  And if you read the rest of the story, you will find that the master listened to the girl and sought out the prophet who gave him specific instructions on how to be healed. Because of this young girl’s willingness to share her faith, the master was cured and came into a knowledge of the one true God.

There is no mention of the girl again so we don’t know if she was rewarded for her advice. God must have intentionally left out this information so that we would understand that it wasn’t about the young girl but about God.  Instead of believing that she received a positive reinforcement for her actions, we are left at focusing on how God received the glory for healing the commander.

I can learn so much from this young girl and her humble response to her situation. Instead of becoming bitter and spiteful, she trusted in her God. If she could exhibit this type of humility with her little knowledge of our heavenly Father, than I have no excuse. Given God’s Word and his Holy Spirit, I am equipped to do all things through Christ who lives in me. And that means allowing God to use me in the hard times when my emotions can muddy the waters

As for Carl, he is also painting a picture of humility by being willing to lay on the ground and allowing others to draw close to him. Given how he used to jump up and scratch everyone who came near him, this is truly a miracle that I will thank God for.