This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes is written for use with children, but it’s also at least as much aimed at forming the faith of the adults who work with them. Today’s excerpt, from Chapter 1: Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit, comes from the section for adults.
Humility is not tolerating circumstances we can’t change while complaining about them through gritted teeth. It is an act of will, a choice to be at peace when our gut reaction is to choke on helpless rage. It means accepting what we don’t want to accept, being gracious when we want to complain, and trusting that God has a plan, even if it makes no sense to us.
And at these times, Jesus says, we’re blessed?
Well, yes. …. Being poor in spirit, learning to accept humbling circumstances without angst, rescues us from self-righteousness and pride. It’s easy to be thankful when I’m on top of the world…at least, for a while. But soon … I start to forget that everything I have, right down to the very breath of life, is a gift from God. … I act as if I have all the answers. And from there, it’s a short step to judging everyone else’s circumstances based on my own. In other words…I start to regard myself as God.
Just Live It:
4. Think of a specific act of self-sacrifice or service you can offer to a specific family member, coworker or associate. Write the person’s name, the act, or a phrase to remember on a piece of paper. String it around your neck, put it in a billfold or a pocket. For instance, if you are prone to self-righteousness and judgment, you might write, “I do not know anyone’s whole story; it is not my place to pass judgment, only to live my life as I believe God is calling me.”
(Excerpts from This Little Light of Mine, Chapter 1)
Today, please visit RAnn’s This, That & The Other Thing for a review (and giveaway!) of This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes.
Kathleen M. Basi 