You know when you are driving and you misjudge where the curb is and kinda bump into it as you roll over the corner? We say, “Curb check. Yep, it’s still there.”
Recently I had a pride curb check. No one was injured, it just caught me up and made me take notice. This is the story of what happened.
Us gals were sitting in my living room drinking coffee and enjoying some yummy treats. One of my friends began to share about a new creative project she was working on. The conversation steered around to some of the girls giving advice and offering ideas. One had seen a pattern online. The lady with the new project said something along the lines that she didn’t want to use a pattern from online; she wanted to come up with something original. I probed and asked why.
“If you were an artist you would understand,” she said as the conversation moved to another topic.
Curb check! Yep, there is still some pride there.
My gray matter began to mutter, though I would not let my face betray me. I nodded and smiled and tracked the main parts of the talk all the while retorts and self defense became dangerously large corners threatening to ruin the road trip. I had to finally shut myself up. The lines I was feeding myself were embarrassing and down right rude. If I had said them out loud I would have probably destroyed more than one friendship that day.
The more mild ones were: how dare you?, but I am an artist!, if you only knew just how creative I am!, have you not been reading my blog?, what kind of friend do you think you are to assume that you are the only ar-teest in the whole bunch?
Oh, yes, it was ugly.
I was stung. Then, after all my dearies had gone and I went back over it I realized that this was nothing more than a curb check. I needed to feel a little jostle to know that I was veering in the wrong direction.
I am grateful, today, for that encounter. Since then I have been more aware of moments when I choose pride over humility.
Tim Keller wrote an article entitled ‘The Advent of Humility’. In it he addresses the instruction found in the bible to humble yourself. He explains that if we focus on being humble it is a quick and slippery slope to pride in that we become impressed with our humility. So what is the solution? Instead of focusing on being humble he suggests to focus on grace. God has grace for us and we extend grace to others. The natural consequence of a gracious life is a humble attitude.
Have you had a curb check recently? Could it be an opportunity to extend (and receive) grace? Let us be grateful to our Lord for helping us grow and change.
Grace be unto you.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for being vulnerable! I like how you compared it to a ‘curb check’ and also how it’s better to focus on the grace and not the humility…it really is all about the grace, isn’t it? Bendiciones…
Yeppers had one of those in my professional walk not too long ago. Once I was able to refocus on Him and His grace His mercy washed over me. All things were made right and BETTER after that.
Good post!
Ouch! Even though those curb checks seem small, they can still hurt big…specially if we let them. I’ve have many curb checks in my life!!!
Great analogy. I’ve had moments like those in my life too! Thanks for sharing your humbling experience with us!
Amen for growing moments!
so well said, friend.
my curb checks sting probably longer than i should allow them to.