I've come to see I can be fairly prideful at times.  This pride comes across a lot of ways to others.  The most detrimental effect is that it causes me not to be able to see others--to miss them--for them to miss the real me that longs for relationship.  Jesus is fond of saying, let those that have eyes see and hears hear.  I get scared when I cannot see others and believe I am alone.

This evening I took a walk around the city.  It was a reasonably cool night for the first official day after summer.  I sat along the river and watched the water.  I read a little.  It was good to take some time to breathe and do some things I enjoy.  I am very grateful for my work and it can sometimes leave me feeling left out--out of touch with my own needs.  Do you also ever feel left out of your own life?  It's time to enjoy our lives again in relationship with others.

So, I decided to take a walk.  Well, I felt one of those holy nudges from above...within...so I got my nose out of the book and took a walk along the river.  I realized close by were a string of art galleries.  Soon I was meandering in and out of some delightful displays of color and life, of course from a new perspective.  That's what artists do.  Thank God for the artists.  Soon, I was engaged by those around me who noticed me.  Sure I went to them but they reached out to me.  Welcomed me in to what they were doing, creating, seeing.  Life became a little fuller, brighter, better?

Toward the end of my evening I took a walk to another section of the city.  Eventually, I landed on a bench.  Lots of people came through at the nearby crosswalk.  A couple different folks sat down.  One played a game.  One appeared to be figuring out how to get somewhere.  The last person that sat down seemed to be homeless.  She took out a bag of chips.  I started to feel anxious.  Sometimes I feel anxious, like I need to create a relationship out of nothing.  

Maybe nothing is ok.  There was nothing in the beginning and God created everything out of nothing.  Hang on to nothing it will be important in the next paragraph.  This lady took out a bag of chips.  She ate them.  She took out another.  She at those.  I thought about asking her which one she liked better.  Strike up some small talk.  It was too forced.  I decided to let my anxious energy be and just be still on the bench.

The word humility simply means lowly or ground.  There came a moment when my head wasn't up in the clouds thinking about what I was reading--as good as it was.  There came a moment when I wasn't concerned about everybody around us that was looking inquisitively--even as I would.  The moment came when I stood up and realized I stood on the same ground as my unknown friend.  I looked at her.  She looked at me.  We smiled at each other.

Humility, my take on it is, let Nothing come between us and we will see each other and new Life-Giving-Life will happen for all included.