Lessons in Humility

Yesterday Granna asked Taylor if she could run a few errands for her. She just needed her to run to DeQueen and pick up some supplies that she needed to finish a couple of projects before she left on a little EHC trip.

Well, Taylor had really had a bad day at school. She needed her mother.

Can you go with me to town Mom?

I had been working in the wood-shop all day and wasn't fit for town.

Taylor, I would have to take a shower, put on make-up, fix my hair and loose 20 pounds.

Pleeeeeeaaaassseeeee!!

I really hate it when I'm caught in this dilemma. Do I go and risk being seen by a hundred people at walmart looking like I'd just emerged from the woods, eating gopher...or do I break my daughters heart and stay safe at home where nobody cares that I have on dirty overalls with wood shavings in my carelessly pinned-up hair.

It's the risk of being a farmer. Sometimes I just happen to look like a hillbilly. It's just the way things are. So, I decided to go warts and all. I threw my little hoodie sweater on over my dirty overalls, put on my converse tennis shoes, wiped some of yesterday's mascara off my cheeks and headed out the door.

I figured I would see at least 10 people I knew. Intellectually, I can discern that people probably don't give a flip about what I look like, but I'm riddled with insecurity and could just feel the pressure of it all. Luckily, our list was short so we could get in and get out quickly.

Things were going along pretty well. So far, the kids and I were laughing and talking in the car, singing to the music, and talking about all the high-school drama going on. I kind-of forgot about my attire for a bit.

When we were in the produce isle at Wal-Mart, Taylor said, "hey look, there's Josh!"

I know a few Josh's, none of which I would care to see me looking like I looked.

But being me I said "Where?"

Right THERE!

Little did I know that she was talking about Cute-Coffee-House-Josh until he turned around and our eyes locked. His big brown dreamy eyes locked right on my worn-torn confused face.

and I exclaimed "OH!"

Not like a happy to see you "oh", but a long drawn-out oooohhhh. It hung in the air for infinity. It was very loud, at least in my head.

Cute-Coffee-House-Josh is this cute guy named Josh that works at the coffee house. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Anyway, I scurried away like a frightened squirrel and before I got out of the produce section, I got tickled. The whole incident played over and over in my head and it got funnier every time.

I started laughing and, as fate would have it, I happen to snort very loudly when I laugh. I mean like a pig. God really needed to show me some humility yesterday. I was doing the kind of laughing that I had to actually pinch my nose with my fingers to keep from snorting, so then I was just quietly convulsing while pinching my nose. Taylor, who loves a good laugh, joined in the giggle-fest as we tried to make our way to the check out.

I lived through the whole thing and have a new image of myself to make me laugh. And...I won't be going back to Wal-mart till next Christmas.