I Set Myself Up
I want to take you along on a trip down memory lane. Now tucked deep inside my brain, one of the funniest events happened probably more than twenty years ago, but it still makes me giggle when I think about it. I thought I was going to one-up my younger brother, but instead, I set myself up. It was a crash course in humility that I didn’t know I needed.
Our family was boarding a flight either to or from Florida. The plane had one set of three seats together on one side, while the other side of the aisle held two seats together. There were four of us traveling together, and naturally, my brother and I were arguing over who was going to sit a few rows back by themselves.
As a teenager, I obviously thought I was super cool, and I won the argument and got all comfortable a few rows back from my parents and brother. Within a few minutes, I instantly wanted to trade, but instead, my brother laughed and declined the offer. A man came and found his seat next to me. He was from St. Thomas and clearly had a no-stress vibe.
Once at cruising altitude, many airlines provide refreshments. While I settled on ginger ale and pretzels, my seatmate had an alcoholic beverage. Somehow, he drank it on top of the others he had consumed prior to boarding. It was clearly obvious he didn’t need any more. And if the flight couldn’t have taken any longer, my new friend asked for a sick bag. Yes, he proceeded to vomit the remainder of the flight. It felt like we were never going to land.
While I was never in any danger, I was hating myself for putting myself in this situation. Meanwhile, my brother was flying in luxury a few rows up. Laughing at me every time he looked back. I’ve never been happier to get off an airplane than that day. The whole thing still makes me laugh. What an experience!
Initially, I thought I knew better. I was rubbing it in, and, clearly, my pride came before my fall (Proverbs 16:18). I wanted to be cool and relaxed, but instead I got a lesson in humility. I think that’s how God works. I’m sure if we are all honest, we’ve probably all thought we knew better in certain situations. We’ve all tried to handle things on our own. Regardless of the situation, God can grant us wisdom and discernment if we humble ourselves enough to ask.
Humility isn’t easy to admit. But it makes us stronger and more appreciative humans, in my opinion. While I still laugh about my flight buddy these years later, I’ve learned not to jump to conclusions or try to one-up someone to get what I think I want. In the end, that only sets me up for failure, and I don’t want that. Being wise and asking for wisdom in any situation can carry us further than we could ever go on our own. I’ve not had another flight with this much excitement since, and for that I’m grateful!
Proverbs 15:21-22
Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path.
Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
