"God took me to the wood shed this week.."

From where I come from, being taken to "the wood shed" meant a good "butt whoopin." Yes, my Pumpkintown raising is showing! (My mother would be so proud since I've been calling Africa my homeland for the last five years.)

We didn't have a wood shed when I was a kid, but my brothers and I got our share of "whoopin's." I feel sure they deserved many more than I did. (Smile.) If you knew them, you'd agree that is true!

Anyway....back to my story.

Sometimes I just get too big for my britches. I'm headstrong, opinionated and stubborn...........okay, you can stop & disagree with me at anytime. I profess very often that I love humility in people...and I do. There are two things guaranteed to stop me in my tracks and turn me completely against somebody --- one is arrogance -- and the other is prejudice. I can't tolerate either one in a person. If I see it in somebody, I'm done with them! Told you I'm opinionated.

Strangely enough, however, God took me to the wood shed this week for one of my own pet peeves.
Arrogance....lack of humility. One of the hazards of being in the same position at work for a very long time is that you can get too big for your britches.....and I'm not talking about my weight. I'm the executive director of a non-profit in Greenwood. A 25 year veteran of the organization. I've been around the block a time or two....if you know what I mean. I have a very supportive board of directors that I report to and that I'm accountable to, but it's been a very LONG time since I've had a "boss" in the traditional sense. And....big suprize...I like that!

A relatively new staff member confronted me about something she had a genuine concern about at work this week. She came to me and just spit it out...she didn't mix words -- she just said it. And my response? ((at least in my spirit))....."Oh no, she did not just ask me that!" "She did not just question ME about that!" I was fit to be tied. I'm not a screamer. I don't yell, throw things or show out. So what did I do? I put on a professional, appropriate face and said all the right things back ---(and when she left my office, I had a hissy fit all by myself!)

Oh my! I chewed on it. I replayed it in my mind. I rolled it over & over as women do. I even did what I heard in the movie "The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" -- there's a line in the movie that says as women, "we roll something over & over, we chew on it until it loses it's flavor and then we stick it in our hair and wear it for a week or so." That is SO ME!

I have no idea why I do that, but I do!

Anyway, after I chewed on it, got mad about, played it out in my mind as I stomped across my treadmill that night and talked about the injustice of it with my husband (who unfortunately has to hear about such things) - I began to settle down and hear God speak to my heart about it.

It went something like this.

God: okay...you about through showing out?

Me: well, I don't know...maybe...maybe not.

God: I'm pretty sure you were wrong. I'm pretty sure you were
slightly less than humble - that word you like to throw around and admire so much in
other people. Pretty sure I didn't see much humility in you, child.

Me: hmmmm. yeah. I hate it when you're right. Can I just say that?!


So, the next morning, I went to work and humbled myself before this person and apologized. The relationship was restored. The offense was forgiven. I admitted I was wrong. And the best part about the whole experience? I'm visual -- I told you that before. I believe God grinned over me just a little bit when I humbled myself in this situation. Lord knows, I don't get it right half the time, but I'm going to think twice before I make my next trip out to the wood shed. Maybe me & God can put another trip off for at least a few days, anyway.