Humility

I guess because I want to write a poem about advent and I'm thinking of Jesus' birth, I am also giving a lot of thought to humility. I still can't shake that Bonhoffer quote, and I think it says much about humility too. Because it clearly displays the reality that we are ALL subject to the door being opened from the outside. The poor understand this. The sick understand this. Those who feel like they've screwed up and failed understand this. I am certain that God wants us to understand this. We have nothing without him. We are nothing without him. If we think we do and we think we are, then we don't know much at all. It is by God's grace that we are humbled.

I was praying for a friend today because she is having a difficult time handling all of her responsibilities. She feels completely overwhelmed. She is a dear friend, and I frequently try to help come up with answers, with a plan. And those aren't bad things, but sometimes it's not the time for answers or a plan. I think sometimes God wants us to live with the state of chaos and difficulty, so that we can know reality. That we are powerless, but God draws near anyway. He is not drawn to our ability to do anything for ourselves. He comes to us because we need him. Every day is advent...God with us, God drawing near.