Take a Big Gulp!

Have you ever taken a drink of something and realized, while it was half way down your throat, that it was too big for you too swallow? Then you have to force it down your throat and it feels as if you were swallowing a baseball. Or have you ever had the strong urge to cry, but you hold back and it builds up in the back of your throat? You know, they call it having a "frog" in your throat. Well I had a similar experience a week or so ago. But, it wasn't a large swallow of something to drink or a strong need to cry. I had to swallow a big gulp of...pride. If you have ever had to do this, you know how hard it can be. It's much bigger than a drink or holding back tears. It's letting go of something you believe strongly in and letting God show you what is truly right for you. That's a doozy! It can be a painful experience or a renewing experience. We had a situation come up with our oldest daughter. We had faught her for months about it, knowing that we were her parents and we knew what was best for her. Boy, did God have news for us! We even backed up our side with, "We are your parents and as long as you live in our house, you will obey our rules." All the while, knowing, deep down inside, that we were going against our God taught values. You see, we have always tried to raise our kids the way God wants us to, but sometimes we mix a little bit of what we want in there, and that's what causes problems. I have always prayed, "God, help me to direct my children to the path that you want them to take." Once again, all the while, trying to make them what I want them to be. The truth is, they are God's property. They have only been loaned to me for a time, while we are on this earth, to teach them and give them direction. So, anyway...God began to deal with my husband and I. But the funny thing is, he dealt with us both individually and privately. I didn't know about him and he had no idea about me. As for as we both knew, our views were the same and not going to change. It's just like God, to let you think you know what is going to happen, and then HE changes your course completely! One morning, we were finally able to have our "coffee talk", and we began to share what God had revealed to both of us about it. Wow...what a revelation! I am so humbled that at the age of thirty seven, God is not finished teaching me things about myself and HIM. God had reached inside both of our hearts and broken down the wall of pride. What freedom! When God unlocks the chains that have had you bound, there is such an elation of freedom that is hard to describe with words. Then the time had come, a few days later, to take that big gulp! We had to sit our daughter down and tell her that we were wrong...yikes! Talk about hard to swallow! But you know, admitting to her that we were wrong, didn't reveal our weakness, it revealed God's strength in us. And if we want to continue to grow in the Lord and show our daughter that God works in all of us everyday, we had to tell her. Each time God reveals our pride to us and cleanses us of it, we become stronger and wiser. Our journey is only beginning and our family is benefiting each day from the power of God in our lives. Don't let pride keep you from taking in ALL that God has to offer you. Find freedom in taking that "Big Gulp"! Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor." Proverbs 13:10, "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."