How Proud Are You

Welcome to Traces Space...When faced with adversity, how proud are you? 
I recently heard a sermon on the Good Samaritan, while most of us focus on the person who lent the hand, we seem to kind of forget the man who received help.  The speaker focused on this guy for a few minutes  and made a very valid point, he could have refused help.
Have you been there?
It really has been hitting home this particular message.  It seems to be everywhere, folks filled with pride or lack there of.
What causes us to be so prideful? Is it the enemy, or is it simply the idea that we can handle it ourselves and don't want others to know that we are going through a tough time.  Have we so long tried to do things on our own that the thought of reaching out to others or having others reach out to us, seems well, really,  really uncomfortable?
So flash back, Veterans day.  I was in Giant Eagle picking up a few items, and behind me in line was an elderly gentleman on one of those motorized grocery carts.  He was proudly wearing a hat from some battleship, and seemed extremely pleasant.  He however was really struggling with getting his items up onto counter in order to pay.  So I say to him "Sir, let me help you"...  He said no...I then said, "Sir you served this country and today I want to serve you, please let me help you."  I thought he was going to cry.  He was very grateful, but  I am pretty sure the last thing he wanted was for some strange lady at the grocery store to help him out.  I am certain that in his mind he was thinking of a time when he was able to really do most easy tasks on his own and never imagined a time when he might have to have someone help him with something as simple as paying for his groceries.
Pride is a funny thing...It can be quite endearing, or it can be quite disturbing.
Disturbing, yes I said that.  While the world may be full of folks who are self indulgent, thinking that their problems are the only issues happening today, there is a flip side.  The person who because they are "proud" will not allow anyone to offer a hand, let a lone let others know they are involved in a struggle.  There are many factors that cause people to enter into this disturbing area of pride, maybe they have always been able to physically or monetarily care for themselves.  Maybe a family rift, or even a family member in the home who would shame them for reaching out.  Maybe just maybe its someone who has always given the impression that God is their strength, and when the struggle became real, they began to doubt, lose trust.  Hey is this any of us? Maybe.
Jesus specifically said He would never leave us or forsake us, in other words He won't turn a blind eye to our issues.  But also He has given us folks in our lives to help.
We recently went through a very tough season at our house.  Without going into details, it really took a toll on all of us. There were people who were very much aware of what was happening, and a lot of praying was going on, but there were folks who had no idea because we had decided that this was deeply personal.  But had we not had outside support, you know those people who offered an ear to our issue, I think that maybe we would not have weathered the storm as well.  See we could have completely shut down, blamed God and well become even more disheartened. Pride could have entered in and well, controlled it, and destroyed us.
Trust issues control our pride levels.  When you can not trust anyone, anything, or God, you set your self up for unnecessary heart ache.
God created Eve so Adam wouldn't be alone...He created us so we wouldn't be alone.
The battle is not ours at the end of the day, even though our prideful nature wants us to own it.
So, which part do you play? are you the sick man on the side of the road who willingly accepts help, or because the help that came wasn't the exact help you wanted, you tell it to buzz off?
See think about it the man on the side of the road could have denied the Samaritans offer  simply because of who he was? They weren't allowed to even talk to each other...Hmmmm?
That's another message...
Anyway...Again, who are you?  How much do you allow pride to enter in...Food for thought?
Yep...
See ya next time