My Slice of Humble Pie
Good day sisters:-)
We godly women learn something new every day don't we? Whether it's through experiences, self reflection or 'seeing' something in the Word. Recently I learned something more about myself.
There's an old saying about taking your slice of humble pie...meaning a person was humbled. Brought from a lofty position of which they thought they held, down to one of a realistic level. That was me, just yesterday.
We were in a parking lot where the beggars like to hang out and the spot we parked was by some women who had a Jesus sign. I wrote about that HERE. So, I go into the grocery store and it was only a couple minutes after I came out that a man pulled up to talk to brother Jim. I heard Jim say to the man (as I was walking up by him) that we are not with those beggars. We support ourselves and don't take anyone's money. Right then I was like "As soon as this man leaves we gotta move. We can't be thought of as begging." And that man was enjoying the talk of God, so it lasted quite a while.
For a while, I was concerned that every car that went by would think we were begging, then I rebuked myself and thought of Jesus being numbered with the transgressors (Mark 15:28) and who am I to think otherwise of us? Are we greater than our master?
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. John 15:20
We have people offer us money all the time, thinking we are beggars or because they correlate preachers to asking for money. We refuse, every time, and sometimes turn it around on them, after giving them the gospel, give them a gift card for a cup of coffee. So yesterday, I thought about who I would rather be associated with, the old Deb of the past who looked and acted like a harlot? Who browbeat men in business? Who chased after the things of the world? Or the humble servant of the Lord, living among the lowly? It's funny because we look more like homeless than some of them do. Not that we try, it's that we could care less as long as we are clean, and take care of what we have, the world can have their opinions and we don't care as long as we can give out the gospel good news :-)
As we left that parking lot, we gave gospel cards to the begging women and a man on the corner who looked pretty ragged. What a life they choose, but then again, their trappings aren't much different than the trappings of those who are successful. In fact, they have less to lose and not such a lofty position to fall from if they would humble themselves in the Lord.
It's humbling being a servant of God no matter what your calling or job is, amen sisters? Some are like us on the street, some are servants to others, some are bound to an unbelieving husband that makes their life miserable, some work in the world and some have a quiet life at home. It's all part of God's plan in refining us and only He knows what each of us needs to go through to get to that point.
I ate my humble pie and will probably have another slice at some point in the future.
We were joking around the other day in the van, after having bumped our heads more than usual, that we should get some van helmets.
Brother Jim cut out part of the roof and lifted it so that we have a small area to stand up in but with two of us, it makes for a challenge if we're not careful. The standing space on the floor is about 3' x 3'. The rest is where we sit, the table and the bed. Slow and deliberate, paying attention to where we move, is how we have to get along in here but if we're not paying attention, we whack our head (a lot :-) It's another way to be humbled, having restrictions and constraints in your life that you have to deal with instead of a life of ease. It's really grown us, painfully at times, but we want to be stripped of everything fleshly that might get in the way of serving the Lord.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
Praise God for all the lessons we learn and can share with others to help them along the way.
Our van is almost 25 years old but in very good shape, we're thankful for it...
and when we see older vehicles, they stand out to us as.
The older vehicles are much better than the newer ones when it comes to maintenance, without all the computerized components. Newer isn't always better as we see that in this physical life on earth....but a new life in Christ certainly is!
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colssians 31-4
With that new life comes the shedding of the old one, praise God all our sin has been washed away. That also means our life belongs to Christ and we will do what He calls us to. For me, that meant leaving our homestead and all the works of it behind, to go on the road with brother Jim, to follow the calling he has to preach the gospel on the streets. Praise the Lord, so far we have adapted and learned (still learning) many lessons along the way. I'll admit that every fall season, my mind reflects back to harvest time of the garden, cutting wood for the woodstove and planning winter projects when the sub zero weather kept you inside. It doesn't last long before I remember Philippians 3 where Paul counts all loss but dung, one of my favorite verses.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Philippians 3:8
Today, brother Jim had to get a bolt for his grease gun and I wandered around the store while he found it. They had a little section of foods so I checked out what they have and found these.
They remind me of when we had 50 egg laying hens (before we sold them) and all the eggs that I had to deal with, one way was to pickle them. They worked great in potato salad:-) And have any of you made chow chow?
This is a corn relish but it reminded me of chow chow I used to make. It's a pickled relish you make from all the end of the year garden produce that trickles in. You chop up whatever comes out of the garden, make relish brine and because you water bath it so quick you can do a couple jars at a time.
Fall time is hunting season of which brother Jim used to do. We would butcher it ourselves and I would slice, grind and process the meat for storage. One of my favorite things to make was jerky.
I would grind it up with seasonings then put it through the jerky gun onto the dehydrator and dry it overnight til it was done. Today, I have to rely on others to do all that stuff and just find good deals of it on the road, that was another slice of humble pie I had to eat and it was a bit hard to choke down in the beginning but once I got past my flesh, it's all good.
I rejoice knowing that our sisters are out there, working hard in their gardens, in their kitchens, in their jobs of whatever that is, doing it all as unto the Lord. Joyous, thankful and content in where He has them, looking for that glorious hope that lies before us.
I pray your day is peaceful and that you are strong on the Word.
Love to you in the Lord,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...
https://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html