humility
In my previous life (ie. 2007-2012) I was an editor. It was my job to perfect other people's words. To critique, question, delete, rewrite, and attempt to be encouraging when I told writers they weren't getting their point across or they weren't doing it well.
But now I'm a writer. Now my words are the ones being stricken, questioned, rewritten, and critiqued.
This week I was confronted head on with "being edited." A book I stewarded (I shaped someone else's words and ideas onto the pages) is approaching layout, so all the nitty gritty commas, consistencies, and repetitions need smoothed out.
The editor sent me the book electronically, and I'm still trying to decide if a red mark really does look worse on the computer screen than it does on notebook paper or if it's just been too long since I used paper.
Deep into the work I began to resent the comment field, the blue and red strikes and underlines, even the punctuation changes and I already know I'm terrible with commas, semicolons, colons, and all those other marks! So when the editor had made a silly mistake, or clearly didn't know her Bible as well as I do, I took the opportunity to feel superior to that comment field.
Finally, when one of those comment fields had already irritated me before I'd even read it, I read again the header on that page: "Be difficult to offend."
Ha! It was God's little reminder to me that my editor was just doing her job, like I had done for those five years. It wasn't personal and I didn't need to take offense.
Several pages later that old resentment began to rise again. I had already done the work, why did I now have to justify these words? Don't you trust me? I know what I'm talking about! As pride rose up in me I looked to the Bible verse I had just glossed over: "Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!"
Ha! God again.
This time I clued in that He might be saying something to me. I looked back through the pages that really irked me with edits and these were the themes on those pages: don't make excuses, pursue higher things, be not afraid, challenges strengthen us, focus, you reap what you sow, don't worry--pray.
And so I did. Pray. I thanked God for the opportunity to serve Him through the written word. I thanked Him for a thorough editor who was helping me make perfect this work. I thanked Him for discerning eyes to allow me to see errors the editor missed. I thanked Him for giving me better words when the editor asked for changes. I thanked Him for His anointing on this work, that it would transform the hearts of its future readers. I thanked Him for the divine connections that led me to this work in the first place. I asked Him to forgive me of my pride and thanked Him for the work He is doing in my heart. I gave Him all the credit. He alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.
As soon as I finished my prayer my boss' secretary called and asked if I wanted to work on a project about gratitude. Um, yes.
EMBRACE HUMILITY.
Humility isn't about denying your gifts, talents, and abilities, it is simply acknowledging the One who gave them to you.
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