We get to see all of the beautiful details in the valleys and on the journey.
“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” GK Chesterton
I read this quote for the first time the other day and I was so struck by its truth, that I wrote it down. Humility is not something that we value in our culture. We like the biggest, and the fastest, and the best. We worship the winners. We strive to be on top at all times.
We want to be first in the race, the boss, the president of the organization. Don’t get me wrong; those are all fine aspirations. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with attaining something that we’ve worked really hard to get.
The journey to get where we want to go, often begins at the bottom and is filled with humility. When we first start to run, we often finish close to last. It’s humbling. When we lose more games than we win, it’s humbling. When we first begin to apply for jobs and don’t get chosen, the rejection is humbling.
When we find ourselves in the valley, we often find ourselves drawing very close to God. When we have very little, every little gift means a lot. When we are humbled by our lack, or by our failures, or simply by the unknown future, we know in our hearts that we need God. Prayer sometimes becomes our constant companion.
Then prayers get answered and our situations change and we are so thankful and grateful for a time. We notice all of the scenery on our way to the top. No detail escapes us.
We’re gearing up for another election cycle soon. Think about how humble candidates are during a campaign. Think about how grateful they are. Think about how their attitudes seem to change after the election. The humility often evaporates.
I’ve witnessed the same phenomenon happen when someone gets a big job promotion as well. Humility gets lost. Pride steps in and when pride steps in, it gets bigger and bigger and the need or rather the acknowledged need, for God gets smaller and smaller.
Pride brought down a certain angel named Lucifer.
It seems when we reach the top of whatever it is we so desperately strive for, we tend to let everything else get small except for our achievement.
Of course we have a choice. We always have a choice. We can choose to keep God close no matter where we are in our journey. We can choose to be thankful in the valleys and the peaks. We can pray for humility once we reach the top. We can choose to know that we need God wherever we are, and that can make all of the difference.
But, if you find yourself in a valley today, take heart, the beauty is in all of the details of the journey and the perseverance comes from the One who always walks with you. You never travel alone.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂