Humility. Oh what a weighty word. One I have struggled with my whole life. Its hard to admit when I am wrong. It’s always been a thorn I have struggled with and while I am leaps and bounds better than what I use to be. I still like being right, I mean who doesn’t.
Today it hit me how prevalent the lack of humility is in our society today. It was a quick 30 second, if even that, interaction with the FedEx driver in front of my house. He was driving carelessly, especially for a neighborhood, and he came very close to hitting me while backing up my street. I rolled down my window and simply said in a non confrontational tone, “Dude you almost hit me.” Humility would have had him say “Oh my I’m so sorry, I was keeping an eye on you but I can see where it felt like I may hit you.” Instead he chose to say “I did not, I saw you.” That was it and two sour attitudes were born for the next hour.
One response heightens the situation, one response diffuses it. Now I understand I could have just driven past, pulled in my driveway and moved on. All of that is true, but before I get completely chastised remember I also have small children, as do many of my neighbors, that are always out playing in the yards and it is a frequent habit of many of our delivery drivers to drive like crazy on my street. I want to protect all the little lives I can. I also understand I could have said “Would you mind driving a little more cautiously, there are small children who live here and driving quickly backwards up the hill doesn’t seem safe” but I didn’t I was caught off guard by his wreckless driving. I also didn’t say anything inflammatory or untrue. He just didn’t like the truth that he was driving carelessly.
Apologizing was not something I really learned how to do until adulthood. See my actions, assess how they negatively affect someone, admit I was wrong, and sincerely say I am sorry. Now I find myself apologizing all the time. I apologize to my husband, kids, friends, family, and random people if I have interacted poorly with them. I am definitely not perfect, hence the need to apologize more frequently than I would want; however, I am trying. I want to be better. I want my kids to know better. I want my kids to know everyone they interact with is a person created in the image of God and therefore deserve to be treated respectfully.
I am not always right, no one is, but what would society as a whole look like if we adopted that same mentality and seasoned our interactions with a little humility?