The ultimate example of humility, of course, is God becoming a lowly human. And not a powerful, important, wealthy human, but a baby, a servant, who suffered a criminal’s death.
However, being in the ICU might be the closest experience that we will have of ultimate, raw humility. I have been very blessed to never have been in the hospital, and really I have never had to visit people in the hospital much in my life. So I had never been in an ICU room until this week. But it is no joke. There is really only one choice – humble yourself and surrender.
That is what today has been all about – humble and surrender. But it has not been an easy road. It is much harder for a young, “healthy”, man like John, who wants to get up and run even though he can’t right now. He has gone from an independent, self-sufficient man to a man who is completely dependent on other people for everything. He has tried to fight it. But he can’t. There is nothing he can do about it. He has to humble himself and surrender to his circumstance, and the more he resists, the harder it becomes. It is best to just let go.
The ironic thing about this idea of being humble and surrendered is that through it John becomes a “true” man, a “real” man. It is easy for men to be great and strong when there is nothing they have to endure, nothing pushing back at them, nothing to resist. However, only a real man can endure what John is going through. Only a real man can humble and surrender himself so that his strength becomes stronger.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
There are no words to express how proud I am of my husband. I have no idea of what he is going through, but he handles each day with more strength than you would think a person could muster up. He is the perfect example of a true man. Instead of running and hiding, getting caught up in pride and self-pity, he humbles himself and surrenders. And through that he is made strong.
Hang in there, Boby. Your day is coming for a new life. One God hand picked especially for you and it is wonderful!
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