O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Psalm‬ ‭144‬:‭3‬-‭4

Humiliation is easy. And it’s easy to move past once I get in the habit of ignoring any of the good lessons that might come from it.

We should look a little bit further into it though. Just around the corner from humiliation there is opportunity.

Opportunity to learn, to adjust, to grow, to be molded.

But I didn’t want any of that during my drinking. I wanted to skip past any emotion or circumstance that threatened the placid coolness I was convinced I was living out, and that I was intent on dwelling in.

So, whenever humiliation struck with chords of humility trying to break through to me, I turned the other way. Fleeing instead of learning.

Don’t get me wrong, humiliation isn’t the same as humility. But it’s often able to prod us in the right direction. Toward a righter attitude and way of thinking.

And this is where I now know that I need the most work, even still. This nudging, moving, trudging toward God’s ideal for me.

I am in constant high alert of slightly drifting off course. Worse than a child in my attention to what matters, and prone always to wander in the exact wrong directions—especially in my thought life.

Yet He is patient even in the brief shadow of my life. Patient to lead. Exacting in direction. Specific when I seek Him.

God, lead me and hold me steady.