Humble Honesty

The other day, I looked at my blog stats to see what words or phrases were entered on Google that led people to my blog. I do that from time to time, because it is very funny to me. I'm boring like that. (If you'd like to see some of the funny entries from the past, click here, here, and here.)

The newest one that made me laugh was this entry: "her boots shined"

I don't recall ever typing those words together in a post, so being the nosy creature that I am, I had to see what post this particular search led them to.

It led them to a post of mine called "Victoria's Amy's Secret." (Click here to take a look at that post.)

Poor misguided things. There is nothing in that humiliating blog post that would help them with information regarding "her boots shining."

In fact, the only thing they will learn from that post is how I humiliated myself in public one day by wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe. At the same time. Having NO idea of my fashion faux pas until after I got home.

The sad thing is, that's not even the worst part. When I wrote that post over two years ago, I left out part of the story. I was too embarrassed at the time to tell all ten of you the "whole" truth.

Now, over 2 1/2 years later, I'm still embarrassed by it, but I feel led to share it with you, because the Lord humbled me that day. BIG time.

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." ~2 Corinthians 11:30

That particular day, as I was in the waiting room waiting (of course) to be called back and fitted for my fashionable new back brace, an old lady walked in for her appointment just a few moments after me.

She was probably in her 80s. When she walked in (using her walker for support), I immediately noticed her shoes. They were the orthopedic kind.



Some people call them "comfortable" shoes. Not me. I've always called them "old lady" shoes. (I don't mean to offend anyone by my comments; it's just that having to wear this type of shoe is something that has always scared me about aging. Like having to sport blue hair. But I digress.) I've even said many times over the years, "Lord, I don't ever want to wear shoes like that. Even if my feet are killing me, I want to avoid that look if at all possible. As well as blue hair. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

She was a very sweet woman. She was with her equally sweet husband, who was very attentive to her as she came into the office and signed in. You could tell they loved each other and had for their entire lives.

As a married woman, I loved seeing that. But those shoes.....Again, I thought to myself, "Bless her sweet heart, those shoes are just pitiful. Please Lord, help me avoid those shoes. And blue hair. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Well, I got called back and fitted for my back brace. Which was humbling to say the least.

I spent the entire drive home thinking of ways that I could convince Shannon that this hideous thing was all the rage at Victoria's Secret. By the time I got home, I had almost convinced myself that I could totally pull that off.

I also remember thinking, as I walked in my door, "Well, at least I don't have to wear those pitiful 'old lady' shoes....that would really be awful combined with this hideous back brace."

It was at about that same moment that I looked down at my own shoes, only to notice this.....



I was mortified. To say the least.

"Swallow your pride occasionally, it's non-fattening!" ~Author Unknown

I laughed out loud at my ridiculous self and at God's sense of humor. Only moments before, I had been feeling so sorry for that sweet old lady having to wear her "comfortable" shoes......when the whole time she was probably feeling sorry for me not even being able to "match" mine.

I could just hear her saying as I left the waiting room, "Lord, look at that poor girl. She's probably not even 40 years old yet and already having to wear a back brace. Poor thing can't even pick out matching shoes to wear. Please don't ever let me leave the house looking so ridiculous. Or with blue hair. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." ~Proverbs 11:2