Tag: humility

We are all just some guy on the internet

On Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Sometimes I forget who I am. I read a blog post yesterday that was sufficiently interesting that I decided to click on the blog’s About page. The author is an example to us all. This lady knows who she is better than most. Here is part of what she wrote:

This really is just some blog. I really am just some…well…actually, “girl” might be a little inaccurate. I’m over 30 now, so I have to stop saying that, lest I begin to resemble those “girls” who cling to youth with all the grace of a two year old whose favorite toy is under the covetous gaze of his big sister. I’m just some woman on the internet. Take me as seriously as I deserve to be taken, and we’ll get along just fine. (See what I did there? Get Along? Right. Ahem. Expectations, remember? Low.)

Wow. I need a little more of that on this blog and in my life. Our whole family needs that. Credentialism is a bad thing. Pride in one’s own ability that actually came from God is a bad thing. Even our own good efforts are our due responsibility. No one ever gives their best efforts for more than a period of time. I am not saying we should not find joy in God given ability and even the fruits of our own efforts. God wants us to do that, but he also wants us remember from whence it all came.

Thanks Get Along Home blog for the timely reminder. The next time I write something particularly aggrandizing, do not hesitate to point me back to this post. Maybe that will help me remember I am just some guy on the internet.

Betty Blonde #358 – 11/30/2009

Click here or on the image to see full size strip.

Humility is a good thing

By Dad

On Monday, April 13, 2015

In Christianity, Work

Proverbs 18:12 – Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

A couple of events over the last couple of days reminded me of the fact that humility is a marvelous thing. The first was a pair of comments (here and here) made on this blog. A young lady (rightly) castigated me for something I wrote about tuition costs, but she did it in such a humble, complimentary manner, there was no way I could do anything other than appreciate her kindness in giving me the correction. I responded to her and she responded back with an additional comment that just left me very impressed.

In this day and age, when the pride in self is the accepted, even expected, perspective for young people to embrace, she said, “Thank you. I know I’m not the smartest college student out there but I know a lot about the school systems.”

She then goes on to explain that, with hard work (she did not call that out, but that was the crux of the thing), she got a great educational start at a great price. She did all this with an endearing sense of humility leaving me to believe that she must be, at least on some very important levels, one of the smartest college students out there. Intelligence is not immutable, hard work helps and humility is a great quality in any context.

The second event was an engagement, a series of meetings, with a team of engineers working on a hard, very technical image processing problem. Everyone is wracking their brain to figure out a way to solve a problem for which there might be no good solution. The engineer who has worked longest on the problem spends all his time in the meetings explaining how his approach is the scientific approach and that if the other engineers do not cite articles from academia that describe how to do even the most mundane task, there is no reason to try them, well-known, well-tested algorithms in the field. His contribution mostly consists of aggrandizement of his own contributions that have yet to work after six months.

The sadness is that I often find myself adopting the second attitude. It will take humility to over come that.

Betty Blonde #295 – 09/03/2009

Click here or on the image to see full size strip.

Just so you will know…

By Dad

On Tuesday, September 10, 2013

In Education, Homeschool

Day 750 of 1000

Shame, shame, shame I received mixed reviews from my family on my post about Christian’s 18th Birthday. Lorena and Kelly loved it, but I received a stern lecture on grace and humility from Christian. He is not so keen that people know his age nor does he advertise his accomplishments. I am pretty sure he is right and I am letting pride get the best of me. I am sorry.

Still, there are not so many opportunities for homeschool kids to get accolades for academic achievement. It is not like the kids sent to government schools for warehousing in a Lord of the Flies style social settings so their mothers, at least the ones who are not forced to work for a living, can get their “me” time at their yoga class and their lattes at Starbucks. There are selfies that need to be posted on Facebook and Instagram and kids get in the way of finding time and the right venue for just the right picture. In the meantime, much effort is expended to provide accolade opportunities in the name of building self-esteem in badly socialized kids who are often not so accomplished at either learning or doing.

So, I am really going to try to back it off a bunch, work on my humility, and not be too prideful–at least until (and if) the kids graduate. Even then, I will try to keep it brief.

Amazima Ministries: Katie Davis writes a book

By Dad

On Thursday, October 20, 2011

In General

Day 59 of 1000
I wrote a post a little over a year ago about Katie Davis and her amazing Amazima Ministries. Kelly and I have read per personal blog ever since. There is a separate blog that belongs to the ministry, too. Katie Davis went to Uganda on a mission trip when she was still in high school. It so profoundly affected her that she went back to stay at age 19. She is now 22 and the adoptive mother of 14 little girls. That does not tell the half of it. Her story is truly inspirational and now she has written a book. I highly recommend you watch the promotional video on the Kisses for Katie page at Amazon.

Kelly told me about this book last night. The whole family had a wonderful talk about it. The following quote is the first paragraph from the book’s foreword by Beth Clark:

People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it in one way or another, and I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, and that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes the even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.

The whole family talked about this last night. Lorena and I plan to talk more about what we will do as the kids move on to college. Kelly expressed the thought that she was not doing enough and felt a little condemned by the whole topic. I felt the same way. The reality is that none of us are ever doing enough. The truth of her statement, though, is that we tend to focus on ourselves. With all our college entrance stuff, we have remained focused on ourselves and not others. We all agreed the best things we have done, the things that brought us the greatest sense of accomplishment and joy, were tied to the times when we saw someone’s specific need and worked to help them.

We live in a narcissistic, Facebook obsessed world where everyone wants everyone else to know about the great things they do. We decided that we did not want to feel bad about what we have not done. Even that is narcissistic. It is better to do something. Katie Davis wrote this book. She is currently touring the US talking about what she does and the needs and plans of her ministry. It this brings attention to Katie Davis for a short period, but, at the end of her tour, she will go back to Uganda and be a mother to 14 little girls. There is not a lot of glamor in that. There is a lot of very hard work and heart break associated with her day to day life. But there is a lot of joy, too. I think the part I like best is that none of what she says or does is about her. Read the book. Read the blog.

Update: Lorena just texted me to remind me that the narcissism extends well beyond Facebook to include many, many blogs, probably including this one in particular.