Humility:

"The more humble a man is in himself, the more obedient toward God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace."                                  Thomas A Kempis

   September 1, 2012 was a day I will never forget. My family and I had an opportunity to be a part of a mission conference in Raleigh, NC. We had been told several times about all of the great opportunities this could offer in regards to our support development for Zimbabwe. What I did not expect however, was how quickly the clamor of hundreds of people can dissipate when one individual completely captivates your attention. Suddenly, I was oblivious to my surroundings and I am sure I "missed" opportunities with others because I was so engrossed in my conversation with a lady I will probably never meet again this side of Heaven. Anthea was speaking to someone else as I spoke to an elderly lady with a walker. I walked in front of our display so she could hear me explain how God had called us to work with HIV/AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe and to answer any questions she may have had. She proceeded to share with me about her heartache as she had just lost her close friend the week prior to this mission event. Fighting back the tears, she continued to share how much of a friend this other person had been to her. She asked a few more questions as to our work in Zimbabwe and then promptly asked, "where do I put the money?" I thought to myself, " wow! Our first supporter for the evening!" I drew her attention to our response cards that she could fill out and get her support started. She then told me that she was not able to do that because she did not have money to contribute on a regular basis. She took out her wallet and opened it up, leaned forward, and handed me the wallet and said, "turn it upside down and empty it. It is all I have but I want your family to have it."  I emptied the change into our basket on our display table designated for our support cards as she requested. Although the room was filled with hundreds of people, there was a silence in my soul that was deafening.
    As I processed what had happened, my thoughts were drawn to the lady in the Bible that gave all she had to the Lord. This little lady at this mission conference gave all she had because she felt the Lord leading her to give. I was truly humbled by her sacrificial giving and her passion to be a part of what the Lord is doing. It was a good reminder for me to be obedient to the Lord's leading and not be concerned if what I have to offer is good enough. The work that takes place is all about what the Lord is doing in and through the lives of others as He leads them. Sure, we know this, but these are good reminders to keep us humble. Praise God for these reminders.