My Journey of Humility

Today whilst travelling on the train, I had to learn to be incredibly humble and ask for help.

Anyone who knows me would tell you that I like to be very independent and do it by myself and I allow my pride to get the better of me because I don’t want to appear “stupid”, I believe this is also a very British thing that we don’t speak to anyone but just get on with things.

Now the thing is, there was nothing stupid in what happened, I was waiting for a train at Appleby and wasn’t certain if the one that pulled in was the right one. After almost everyone else had got on I was still sat on the platform thinking this train was way too early.

A guy ,also going to Leeds, came over to me and asked where I was going and if he could wait with me. Great, my independence has someone other than me relying on it, time to learn to humility and take responsibility for the situation. Five minutes later the train is still at the station and I’m no longer sure if I should stay off this train.

So I stepped onto the train and prayed to the LORD asking that he would provide someone I could ask, and of course, he did and it was the train I needed to be on. The guy who was on the platform with me also got on the train in a slight panic but now, en route to Leeds station my journey continues but with much more humility.

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On the way back from Nottingham I was reminded how God never leaves us alone and we are always surrounded by other Christians. I boarded the train at Preston which was fairly empty, but my reserved seat was on a table with two guys probably about 19, and one had their bible on the table and must have been reading a particular passage. As I sat down next to the I felt a huge sense of relief, comfort and of being with family. We didn’t speak but just silently enjoyed Christian company. I thank the LORD for his lessons he has taught me on my travels that no matter how far away you may feel God is always bringing you back to His love.

What is the ideal Woman?

What do we think about when we think of image? 

What we should look like?

We’re comparing ourselves to this illusion of the ideal woman aren’t we. 

Well the average woman is 5’4” and weighs 10 stone. The average model is 5’11” and weighs 8 stone. 

That is a truly scary and unhealthy statistic. Only 2% of women are models. And we’re expected to aspire to that?! That’s ridiculous. It's a false standard. 

So here's what I think:

I think we need to forget what the media says to us and focus on the real women around us for a start! That is the reality, not some magazine. We can’t aspire to be like 2% of the population when we have been made to all be beautifully different.

Just pause and think

What are some of the issues that we struggle with when we think about our image?

Most of these things happen because we are comparing ourselves to someone. But why are we comparing ourselves? Well I think there are three underlying reasons which have come from Sophie De Witt's book, Compared to her:

• o Significance: making sure you’re worthwhile
• o    Satisfaction: making sure life is as good as it can be
• o    Security: making sure we have what we need

I’ve been reading this book and Sophie talks about something called Compulsive Comparison Syndrome or CCS for short, and I honestly believe we all suffer from it, I’ve struggled with it all my life I know that. But for me it all came to a head in my first year of university when I tried to change me and having the “ideal” body and being the most like this unrealistic expectation l I could be became the most important thing in the world. 

I found myself hating the body God had given me and trying to achieve the false ideal. Thankfully I kept going along to church and summer camps and God slapped me in the face with Psalm 139 in my face over and over again.

READ PSALM 139

God made us and knows everything about us. The creator of the whole universe made you and me exactly how we are supposed to be. We are made in the image of God, when we look in the mirror we see the image of God!

How does that make us feel?

How does that change how we view ourselves?

He has made us all differently however we look, it’s how he made us.

He has created a temple in us.