colbygardner - Fully Alive

Have you ever been humbled? What did that look like for you? For me, it usually comes in the appearance of something that I feel unworthy of and/or surprised by.

We live in a day and time that we often, especially as young people, feel entitled. Throughout generations, this has slipped in, and the culprit - pride.

One bright and early morning as I walked up the dusty hill in the Dominican Republic, we were joyfully greeted by a family who had been sitting under their tree. As I looked around, I noticed a few things - they had about 8 half-empty stalks of corn on the hill, their outdoor kitchen was toppling, their house was tiny, and they took care of their 27 year old son who had been struck with severe mental and physical illness.

I know what you're thinking, "Wow, that is humbling!"

To be honest, I was a fresh, "super missionary" who came to save the world, and my heart was broken but I wasn't stopped in my tracks until this - they gave us their last three ears of corn. Not only that, but they wanted to give it and served us as if we were their own, with full hearts.

Talk about humbling... I had no pride left!

The past few days, I have had the privilege of sharing the basement with a missionary family that has given up their "entitlements" to answer the call of living the Gospel among the natives in Arad, Romania. As I sat for hours and visited with them last night, there was one thing, above all, that was ever before me - their eyes are seeking, their ears are listening and their hearts are full. They are alive - fully alive!

This morning, after I got home from working out, they were preparing to leave and they, support raising themselves, going through the same struggles as I, exhibited true brotherhood and blessed me with not only their encouragement but more - their last ears of corn (figuratively speaking). With full hearts and eyes of the Lord, they stole my pride and I, once again, humbly faced the Lord with a full heart of joy and thankfulness.

In living, we must know that we are not our own and a life fully lived is in this - giving it up, giving it away and joyfully inviting others into our brotherhood of blessings and "entitlements" - to discover a journey that is full, freeing and abundantly alive.

It seems to me that I know a guy like this. His name is Jesus.