Eating Humble Pie

(To eat humble pie, in common usage, is to apologize and face humiliation for a serious error. )

So.... I have to admit that the prospect of Hurricane Gustav hitting here caused me to have a complete panic attack freak out just a tiny bit. The thought of having my house (and my things) demolished by an out-of-control storm was not a pleasant one. But, I have to confess that I was way too caught up in feelings of panic and fear, instead of trusting God to take care of us. To make it even worse, I kept praying for God to give my husband the wisdom to know what to do & when - but apparently I thought God would be telling ME, so that I could tell him! Hmmm, doesn't quite work that way does it?

As my Hubby kept watching the weather reports, and looking at the charts, he began to lean towards not evacuating at all. He didn't think the major part of the storm would be hitting us directly. He talked with our friends who had invited us to go if they evacuated. The other husband was thinking the same thing, and they were both pretty sure our families wouldn't be leaving. (As we drove around town yesterday, we saw that quite a few other people had decided to stay behind. The grocery store was packed, and we even ate out at a Chinese restaurant!)

We did go to the lumber store, and bought enough wood to board up our windows. That made me feel a little bit safer, but I was still trying to make Hubby do what I wanted him to do.... I had a huge list of "Things That Must Be Done" before we could evacuate/or wait the storm out, so I began to bark out orders to Hubby and the kids. Many of them were things that I could have done weeks ago, before a storm was ever a threat. Things like getting my overflowing craft room cleaned up and organized, having my home-school supplies ready and organized, and having a "G.O.O.D." kit ready. (Go to this blog to see all about the "Get Out Of Dodge" kit.)

Those are things I will definitely be taking care of now! If I am the Manager of My Home, I shouldn't have to be barking out orders to my family at the last minute, right? We could be ready to leave calmly and orderly. Hmmm. Where have I heard this before?

"She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27.


So, what have I learned from this encounter with Hurricane Gustav?

1. I can trust God to provide my husband with all the wisdom and knowledge he needs to lead our family. That also means God doesn't need to tell ME what my husband needs to know. God hasn't appointed me as Hubby's conscience, He actually needs me to get out of the way! I once heard submission described in this way, "Wives often need to duck out of the way so that God has a better aim at your husband!!" So, I need to practice ducking!

2. I do not need half the things I so zealously cling to. When I started to pack up my jewelry, I realized I only "cherished" two rings, one bracelet and a small pair of earrings. So, why am I constantly moving around these jewelry boxes that contain things I don't value? I also only packed 3 pairs of shoes. (Now some things are seasonal, but I do have a ton of shoes I never even wear! Why?)

3. I need to be more prepared. I already mentioned part of this one, but it was so evident this weekend! I found myself digging through out-grown clothes to find the right outfits for my children. I will be cleaning those drawers out this week!! I also need to clean out the fridge regularly, not at the last minute!

4. The kids don't need all the useless plastic toys and junk that fills their shelves. When preparing their "activity" bags, I only grabbed school things, learning puzzles, and their handmade blankets. Apparently, I didn't think they would suffer without their complete collection of Legos for a while....

5. Animals have their own instincs built-in! As I was panicking, trying to make a place for the dog to hide out in the garage, she was already sleeping underneath Hubby's boat! She had found her own place of refuge and was calmly napping!! (One of our friends was trying to figure out what to do with her chickens. Another friend told her to let them loose with plenty of food, and they would stick around the yard. So, maybe God gave them instincts too?)

6. My anxiety only raises the anxiety levels of my family. If I can keep my own emotions and feelings in check, my family will react calmly as well. I realized the children were getting anxious and had no focus because I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off! When they were outside, (with their much calmer father) they were able to relax and play, even with a big bad storm threatening! "Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman," Proverbs 21:9

7. Lastly, I learned that I can truly trust God to take care of us.
"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am with you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you , I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10


Sigh, so there it is. My big fat slice of Humble Pie. I ate it. God brought me graciously to my knees and I am a much calmer woman this afternoon! My husband is very forgiving, and has been very sweet to me today. However....he still says I have to find someone to help me get wood back down off the windows! (I think he's joking, but I really don't want to press the issue right now.)


HELP WANTED: Some teenagers or men willing to help Crazy Pregnant Woman remove wood from boarded-up windows. I can pay you in sweet tea. Otherwise, they might stay boarded up for a long, long time.... :-)