Still Learning to Receive Graciously

Dear Friends, I’m glad to have the opportunity again to share thoughts with you.

Early in our marriage, the wife of my husband’s supervisor at work reprimanded me for mentioning that my family had been poor when I was growing up. She said, “If you don’t tell people, no one will know.”

I considered her advice and decided that by mentioning it, I am giving God the credit for having blessed us. Although my husband and I have never been wealthy, we are blessed in many ways. We believe our faithfulness in tithing contributes to that. When people see and hear how God has blessed us, we hope they understand that God can do the same for them!

Often when I write a meditation, I’m writing about something I need to remember or need to learn or am still learning. One such situation occurred when I was in a checkout line and dealing with the cashier and the lady in line behind me noticed that my shoe was untied. While I was paying for my purchase, she leaned down and started to tie my shoelace! I told her that she didn’t need to do that, but she said, “Oh, no problem!” and continued with her task.

Although I am a grandmother myself, I felt like a small child having a daycare worker take care of me! It was humbling at first, but then I had to remember that she was possibly a mom or a grandmother doing what she always did for others—regardless of their size or age! Some people are born helpers and caregivers, so we need to not discourage that.

Letting people help me and giving up some of my independence has been a tough lesson. It’s one I’m still learning because in the last year I have had two cataract surgeries, two foot surgeries, two knee injuries, and other situations in which I have needed to rely on the assistance of others. The lesson has been to remember that we’re all blessed to have people around us who want to help us, who want to take care of us, and who want to share what they have. They need to feel useful, so we must give them that opportunity.

Because of my husband’s severe bout with COVID, our website suffered neglect for a while. But I now post insight periodically as time permits. Please visit it at www.maryhuntwebb.com and keep us in your prayers. Please pray that I will have the health, stamina, and time to add more. Please also pray that I can find time to write. Along with submitting manuscripts to The Upper Room, I submit them to other venues as well. I encourage others to submit manuscripts to The Upper Room too. I particularly enjoy reading meditations from outside the United States. I would love to read what you have to tell.

Blessings,
Mary Hunt Webb in New Mexico, USA