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“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another…”  Wearing humility today.

I waited a while to put it on but I’m clothed now. I thanked Jesus for my own space, my children (much harder to say), my coffee, my dishes piled up beautifully and waiting to be washed, and my husband. Overwhelmed as I was this morning with three little ones, all of whom spent at least some part of the morning crying, I stopped myself and remembered all I’ve been blessed with and told the giver of all, thank you.

This verse and a few others were brought back to my attention last night by a guest speaker. I felt a new need to be spending some moments a day with my nose in this precious book. I am hoping to make the time again. I feel I have lost some things that come with humility. Like loving strangers. Thinking and speaking in a way that builds other up and glorifies Jesus. I am hoping to remind myself of this verse daily for a while until it feels more natural to think the way this verse calls me to. “Clothe myself in humility.” What areas of our lives couldn’t use a bit more meekness?

Humility as a garment. I am imagining a big pair of sweat pants and a nice fitting tee on sabbath, and bare feet. On a rainy day: a big, loosely knit sweater that hugs the body and hangs on the arms; with a pair of jeans and a blue tank top. And in hot weather—maybe a dress. Calf length and pale with a button-up bodice and an empire waist. But I guess it couldn’t be too fashionable; nothing to draw attention to one’s self, and nothing to make someone else feels as though the things they wore were less than enough. Humility worn would also be modest—considering others and the things they may struggle with—putting them first by dressing in regards to those things. For me in the home it would often be an apron, something to wipe my hands on as I wash and clean and make three different foods for three different people for one meal. Yes, some days it would be something comfortable and easy to wear and other days, possibly so uncomfortable that I may find myself naked in mid-sentence. I suppose it would also be something that should clothe from head to toe; much more like body oil than a real garment then. Maybe I should think of it more as a second skin I put on each day before I dress. Thinking about it at all would probably be enough.

I am dressed and ready now, and it’s time for me to face other things, and they will all require this garment.