For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
Two days ago, my daily meditation was entitled “Ann Voskamp: Leave Noticeable Marks” and in response I received an email from a dear friend, Randy Kipp. He shared an illustration from his teaching days that blessed me. He gave me permission to pass it on to you as today’s post. Enjoy.
“In teaching science to my students I would fill different sized containers with water to the very brim. Students would put their finger in the water and observe. Water would spill out. The water level is raised each time. The physics is that all matter takes up space. Spiritually, the lesson is about how little things make a difference even if unseen. So, as the water level is raised when the finger was placed into the container, the ocean level is raised when a finger is placed into it. The ocean water level change can’t be seen nor measured, but the change occurs. When we do small things, when we leave those marks in Christ’s name (or even not in Christ’s name), we are part of a change of another’s eternity. That small touch, that little mark, has huge heavenly significance even though we might not see or realize it.
Today’s meditation also goes along with a prayer that I enjoy praying every Thursday morning at the men’s group: The Litany of Humility. My desire is to join God in what He is doing in the world by being used as His instrument to leave those noticeable marks for Jesus while I remain unnoticed. So much work yet to be done in my life regarding humility. LOL! Thanks for these daily meditations.”
Randy Kipp in personal email to Gary Hoag on 28 June 2018. Randy drives for work, and prays throughout the day. I know him as the “Mobile Monk” as he often drives me to the airport in the middle of the night when I have to depart on early morning flights linked to long trips. What a saint! The little lifts he gives me make a big difference!
Thank you Lord, for friends like Randy who are brave enough to dip themselves into the ocean of life in service with humility even when they see no noticeable difference, knowing that we make a “huge heavenly significance” when our service, which often goes unnoticed, is done with great love in the name of Christ.
As a bonus, here is The Litany of Humility by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Va (1865-1930). Pray it with me today.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed …
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved …
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others …
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised …
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should …