Eleven months later and I still can’t tell you
what humility is. And neither can my teammates.
Monday through Friday, Nicole and I teach
morning English classes. We have gotten into a semi-routine of a lesson plan
which tends to begin with a review and then a Bible story. These are all
university students who live in dorms above the church, so we figured why not
add in a little Bible reading comprehension. They want to focus on three main
things: listening, pronunciation, and conversation. Well, reading comprehension
is a fantastic way to listen, especially when I am the only one reading, and
all they can do is listen.
Well today’s story was the Prodigal Son. We
start by reading the story, and then defining any words they did not know.
Today’s list was extensive, with about 15-20 words on. The list looked something like this…
Meanwhile
Circumstances
Dire
Famine
Repent
Estate
Inheritance
Promptly
…..
It also included, humility
A word we refer to often, especially in the
church and on the World Race. It is a way of life, a means to live to, or so we
like to think so anyway.
Yet how do you define it when you want a
simple definition, nothing based on circumstance? And at that, you even have a dictionary.
The Oxford American Dictionary defines humility as this: a
modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness OR lower in dignity or
importance.
Somehow, neither of those hit home for us this
morning. It was me and Ralph, Nicole was home sick. We spent a good ten minutes
trying to give examples, use new words, tell stories, and yet nothing got the
point across of what humility really is.
I can’t help but feel like after almost 24
years of life, 11 months on the field, and more than enough moments in life to
reference, I should be able to tell someone what humility is. But I couldn’t. I
couldn’t give it justice. I couldn’t make it out to be all it was intended.
So after asking too many people’s definition,
and sitting here thinking, I think I have it.
There is no definition.
Words cannot explain it.
You just need to have it.
You just need to walk in it.
You just need to breathe it.
did.
Simple as that.
