Humbling Myself

This morning I (Nancy) read in Matthew 18:4 "The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child."(Good News for Modern Man Bible) It is comforting to know that being humble is a good thing. I am not always humbling myself, though. Here in Hungary I am subjected to being humbled every day. Like last Monday at our friend's Easter dinner. It was humbling to stand in the kitchen, watching the two other ladies work and not being able to pitch in and help. I did get to carry a few things to the table, but I didn't know how the dishes were being prepared or what to do. When I did ask how to help, our hostess just told me to enjoy resting. It was easier for both of us, I guess, for me to get out of the way than for her to try to explain how I could help.
Even shopping can be humbling. I had to hold out change in my hand the other day so the clerk could take the coins she was asking for. I misunderstood what she wanted and it was easier for her to just take what she needed.
Then there is language class. Why is it that I know exactly how to respond to the teacher's questions until it is my turn? Our teacher is very interesting and we are learning a lot from him. He does get tickled sometimes, though, at the way we mispronounce or misuse some words. He just loves to have us Americans say the word "hamburger." It is so natural for us to pronounce it in the American rather than the Hungarian manner since it is spelled exactly the same way.
Well, being humbled is not such a bad thing. It helps me realize that my relationship to my Heavenly Father must be one of humility. How many times does he ask me just to sit there and wait for him to do something I want to do but couldn't do his way (the best way)? How often does he listen to me and smile at my attempts to master what he is teaching me? But through it all he totally loves and cares for me, his little child.