Three Ways to Learn Humility
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." - James 4:10

"What you are doing makes no sense," a friend said about our decision to move overseas to help this ministry. We were a middle-aged couple, moving far away from our children and friends. I had to learn another language. We were leaving jobs we loved.

Looking back now, almost four years later, we can tell you the experience has indeed often been hard for us. God has humbled us in more ways than we expected.

But we are called to humble ourselves before each other and the Lord. He lifts each of us up if we give him our helplessness, our blessedness and our usefulness.

Helpless

As a grown man, I found it hard here to realize that I could not talk to a barber, a mechanic or a doctor without someone helping me. I now can talk easily to people wherever I go, but my mistakes in the language have become rather legendary among us.

I once ordered pizza "without afternoon" instead of without cheese and, trying to tell a waiter we had missed him, I said instead, "To us, you are spotted." When an Italian asked me what I had done in the States, I told him I had been a big hat (capellone) in Texas. I meant to say "chaplain" (cappellano). And one day I said, "Let's eat the old people"(anziani) when I really only wanted to eat the leftovers (avanzi)."

A worker here once said, "It is frustrating to be a grown up and speak like a five year old!" She was exaggerating. Many Italian five year olds speak better. I know her frustration. But our helpless moments teach us that, where we are weak, God is strong.

Blessed

Giorgio and Marta left most of their nine children in Romania to come to Italy. Maria and her husband also left most of theirs there. They explain that in their country eleven people must try to live on only about ?50,00 (about $63.00) a month. They come, desperate to support their families. Giorgio's knees are injured by the long hours he has spent toiling on them, but that is the only kind of work he can find. Maria's husband cannot work due to an infected foot, so she carries the load.

Marta & Giorgio

Jennifer & Maria

Gary, Giorgio, & Robbie

As in the States, such immigrants often cannot find work or medical help until they have documents and they cannot get the documents they need until they have jobs.

Whatever your troubles are, sing praises to God in gratitude if you can already speak English (the world's universal language), live in a land of opportunity and do not live in fear of the police. Many worthy people are not so blessed.

Useful

Most humbling of all is to find ourselves used by God. We are clay jars, but even clay jars can carry treasure. God often uses such plain things for his glory.

No matter how worthless you may feel, God can use you to carry his grace to someone else. You don't have to be able. Just available.

Gary and Jennifer Williams
Florence Bible School
Italy