And yet, and yet…

The other day I was at a meeting after a long day of work that my wife was going to join me at. I’d been working all day, and this meeting was on a topic that both of us were passionate about, so I was excited for her to join me. As she sat down, I leaned over to her saying hi and started communicating about an idea I had. She took a moment to think, then leaned over to whisper into my ear.

“You need some gum.”

At first I was insulted. How is that a way to greet someone at the end of the day?

But then I took a second and thought about it: I had worked all day, had like 5 cups of coffee to zero cups of water, and likely had eaten Tex Mex for lunch.

She was absolutely right. Even though I didn’t think I had need of anything, I lacked the perspective to understand my coffee breath. She wanted me to be at my best, and my best required some adjustment.

Sometimes in life, we think we have it all together. We take our plans, our opinions, our choices and think that we attain some level of perfection. But then those we love come alongside and speak the truth in love to us, and offer minty help.

In the coffee breath moments of life, we have to let go of our pride to receive the help we need. It’s OK to not have everything together; it’s not OK to be insulted by the effect of your own shortsightedness (or short-smelledness?)

These are the moments where I have to take humility to recognize that I am not perfect, nor am I finished yet. And these are the moments in my shortcomings that I learn how others are gifted to grow me up into a better maturity.

And this isn’t just an individual thing. Our families, our faith communities, our friend groups: many times we have unrealistic perspectives of how put-together we are and when help is offered, we need to be ready to grow. All growth is change, and all change requires humility. But that kind of perspective and humility to change appropriately (and aligned with the Word of God) is part of what continues to grow us into the “aroma of Christ” in the midst of a world that stinks of death and dying.

And praise God that we don’t have to live with coffee breath.

Signs and wonders, y’all.

 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18