Fitting Pride

 Pride - while not so much in our society at large - at least within the Christian community, is a word that holds negative connotations.  Christians believe that pride leads to all kinds of sin...envy, deception, greed, hatred, ... the list goes on.  If you want to read more, just check out the book of Proverbs on this subject.

 

But today I admit to being proud - and I believe my pride is both acceptable and fitting. It's a pride not unlike my pride of being Canadian.

Our oldest son, Jeff, returned this week from the Selkirk Mountain Range and a grueling 10-day full Ski Guide exam that will result in his accreditation with ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides).  He called just before the exam started to say that examiners were looking for white-out conditions to test applicants' skills.

Post-grad from a three-year Outdoor Program at Northwest Baptist College found Jeff living in his car and subsisting on Kraft Dinner as he was trying to find his way into the Whistler area as a guide.  Now an 'old timer' in the area, he has since worked with various guiding companies, and done free-lance work.  A few years ago, he successfully gained accreditation as Assistant Ski Guide with ACMG, and has gained valuable experience guiding heli-skiing.  Jeff has logged days and weeks of skiing and traversing experience in varying terrain to get to the point of being eligible for this exam.

I wondered if I should wait to post this until after he gets his results, but there's really no reason. As his mother and biggest fan, (OK, maybe his wife, Nina rivals me in this category)  I fully expect him to enter into this world-class accreditation with flying colors.  Were he required to re-do the exam, I'd be just as proud of him for his passion and standard of excellence in his field.  He will continue to work towards a full ACMG designation, which besides Ski Guide, includes Rock Guide and Alpine Guide categories. 

What got me onto this subject of pride was surfing through our oldest daughter's blog.  Kelly blogs regularly about the ordinary and not-so-ordinary moments that constitute family life.  When I read her stories and insights, I am constantly amazed at her parenting skills, how she demonstrates her love for her husband and kids in practical and sacrificial ways, and how she cares about those within her sphere of influence.  Her parenting style is loving and consistent, and it includes good humor and empathetic understanding.  As a matter of principle, she looks for the good in others, and looks to their best interests. She has true friendships because she is a good friend.  She's resourceful.  She's a volunteer, has her own photography business, blue melon photography, runs a guest house, Adagio Guest House, teaches piano, and continues to learn new things.  She and her husband are hospitable people.  Like the rest of us, Kelly is not perfect, but she is diligent and intentional about being a Godly woman. This makes me a very proud mom.

Our youngest daughter, Tara, has recently successfully completed her final exams at West Coast School of Massage Therapy.  For the past 2 1/2 years she's had her nose to the grindstone studying, while giving up the simple pleasures of leisure time and social interaction in order to meet her goals.  What she didn't give up, thankfully, was building a relationship with Dave, the man whom she will marry in just 8 weeks.  Although academic success has always required hard work from Tara, this time she outdid herself.  She measured the cost, made sacrifices, gritted her teeth and not only got through it, but did so with excellent results.

Tara's social and compassionate nature is well-suited to her chosen career.  She's told me over and over again about the satisfaction she feels from being able to assess and treat people with health issues.  Having been treated by several RMTs including Tara, I believe that Tara demonstrates a natural gift for this work, and that she will do well, quickly building a repeat clientele.  The emotion I felt when she stepped forward for her diploma formed a lump in my throat and gratitude in my heart.

I am so pleased to observe my grown children excel in characteristics that have never particularly been my strong suit.  I'm not nearly as focused as Jeff, as loving and consistent as Kelly or as determined as Tara.  Of course, there is my husband Don, from whom they may have inherited and learned some (if not all) of these traits.

In essence though, these accomplishments are because of God's grace - how he's made each of our children, how he's shaped them, and his care over them from the day of their birth.  These accomplishments are also about the gifts he's placed within them, and their desire to go with who they are. (More about this later).  This gives us immense reason to celebrate and be thankful!

Hmmm - I wonder if God ever feels pride in us, his children.  But again, another topic for another day.

Attitude

In all areas of life, we have choices - at least that's what I've always been told.  Our attitude is foundational to the choices we make.

Many times I have found myself speculating, assuming and yes, even judging people unfairly.  I wonder what causes this behavior.  I dislike this part of myself.  Do I have a choice in how I view others?

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I know what I ought and ought not to do.  Yet my default is often exactly the opposite of what my head knows.  How do I change my default position?  An 'about face' is necessary when judgmental self-righteousness rears its ugly head.

It's easy to let our thoughts roam wherever they may - to make hasty assumptions without knowing the truth about people.  We look and listen carelessly, leaping to conclusions. Our own history often frames our opinions of others.

Many would argue that our thoughts, kept private, are harmless, and that they're also uncontrollable.  But in describing the reasoning of a spiritual versus a non-spiritual person, Paul says in 1 Cor 2:16, "we have the mind of Christ." Having the 'mind of Christ' means submitting our own thoughts to His Spirit within us.

We look with our eyes, physically; but spiritually, we see with Christ's eyes.  We hear with our own ears physically; but spiritually, we hear with Christ's ears.  We make judgements with our own minds, but discern all things by Christ's thinking - that is, the Spirit who lives in us and gives us guidance.  But we need to be open to the leading of the Spirit.

Just as we control our physical bodies by discipline (how we move, what we put into our bodies), so we allow the Spirit to take control of our minds by what we take in and how we journey through our spiritual disciplines.

A few verses earlier, in 1 Cor 2:14,15 Paul says "¹⁴ But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. ¹⁵ Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others."

Does this last verse sound a little arrogant?  It almost makes the 'spiritual' person sound untouchable.  On closer study, however, note that the spiritual person can evaluate all things.  We can evaluate what is right or wrong, we can even confront people with the truths that are relevant to their situation.  But we are not to judge people.  Even Christ showed mercy to the outcasts of society - prostitutes, cheaters, adulterers, thieves.  He told them the truth about themselves, forgave their sin, and told them to stop sinning.  The only people Christ judged were the arrogant and self-righteous.

We, just like the marginalized in Jesus' day, need to know about ourselves so we, too, can stop sinning - so we won't fall into the trap of self-righteousness.  When we're honest about our own journey, about who we are and about the grace we've been given, we will evaluate all things using the mind of Christ, whose grace knows no limits.  And we will love people.  

Easy? Not a bit.  Messy? You bet!  Rewarding?  Absolutely!