Learning From the Humble
We are learning to recognize humility in others; we are attracted to them and we learn from them.
At my meeting last week someone shared about working Step Seven for the fourth time on the same character defect - her need to rehearse conversations obsessively before having them. She's been in Al-Anon twelve years. She didn't share with shame but with gentle honesty: I keep asking God to remove this and I'm still doing it so I ask again. Something in how she spoke drew me in.
We are learning to recognize humility in others we are attracted to them and we learn from them. I was attracted to her sharing because there was no pretense. No performance of having it all figured out. Just honest acknowledgment that she keeps working this Step on the same defect and trusting God's timing even when it's slower than she wants. That's humility - ongoing cooperation with God without demanding immediate results.
I learn more from her honesty about repeated asking than I ever learned from people who claimed one perfect Step Seven fixed everything. Her humility shows me what this Step actually looks like: not one prayer that removes all defects instantly but patient repeated asking while trusting God's way and pace.
After tomorrow's meeting, I can approach whoever shared honestly about ongoing struggle. Thank them. Ask one question: How do you keep trusting God when change is slow?
