Appropriate Smallness

photo by samweng

Why so quiet, you ask?  Well, spring finally hit the great north and who has time to sit in front of a computer when there is so much fun to be had outside?  But now as planting season draws to a close and the temps start to soar I find myself welcoming the cool, shaded retreat of a closed up house for a short reprieve and some quieter pursuits.

While my hands have been busy, my mind has been relatively at rest, but not altogether devoid of mental fodder.  Let's see.  A  month or so back I quoted from one of the chapters in "The Life You've Always Wanted" (this has been a very gently and yet inspirationally impactful read for me!) that focused on what he refers to as "appropriate smallness" (ie, humility).  Really, I have pretty much been moored at that chapter and another one in conjunction with it (more to come on that later), just truly letting the thoughts settle and take root in the soil of my own life.  There is great truth and great challenge to be found here for me.
His sub list for "appropriate smallness" touched on;

a)vanity

b)stubbornness

c)exclusion (excluding God and other people from their rightful place in our hearts). He writes; "Pride moves us to judge rather than to serve. Pride means not only that we want to be smart and wealthy (insert your competitive streak here), but also that we will not be satisfied until we are smarter and wealthier than those around us. Pride is essentially comparative nature."

OUCH.

That ripped open a gaping hole for me to stare into, aghast,  and recognize that oh.yes.siree.pride-is-alive-and well-in-the-chasms-of-this-body-of-death.  Trust me when I say it wasn't pretty.

Well, he diagnosed the problem... what about the remedial course of action?  I just love what he had to say about humility.

"Humility has to do with submitted willingness. It involves healthy self-forgetfulness. We will know we have begun to make progress in humility when we find that we get so enabled by the Holy Spirit to live in the moment that we cease to be preoccupied with ourselves one way or the other."

So like I said, I've been moored at the dock of "appropriate smallness" for some weeks now and it is revolutionizing my life.  No great miracles or anything, just a peace inducing state with a lack of striving, be it mental, emotional, physical.  Just living in the moment, making the most of each day seeking to build into others while rising and falling to the rhythm of life, be it catching a tidal wave one day and hanging on for the ride or just kicking back and splashing in the shallows.

Life is good.  It is especially good when you discover the secret to being high on life has absolutely nothing to do with being high on yourself but has everything in the world to do with discovering your appropriate smallness.