The Cowboys and the Cat

Once upon a time, there was a football game that took place on the East Coast. The Cowboys had come with visions of beating the Giants. The Cowboys truly looked like Cowboys and crushed the Giants by many, many points. Sadly, no one seemed to care. It was a large black cat that appeared out of nowhere on the field that stole the show.

The black cat’s 15 minutes of fame took over social media. The cat zigzagged across the turf, refusing to be captured. Kevin Harlan, of Westwood One Sports Radio, even had a play by play for the cat “A state trooper has come on the field and the cat runs into the end zone. That is a touchdown!” After the cat's touchdown, it found an opening and escaped, never to be seen again by football fans.

The next day, nobody seemed to care about the Cowboys win. Everyone was talking about the cat. The Cowboys were upstaged by a cat!

How does it feel to be left out? When your opinion doesn’t matter? When you're not noticed? When you're upstaged by someone else?

Pride is just so human, isn’t it? It is this battle with pride that reminds me of my need with God. God freely gives humility. We only need ask. The Bible says “Honor others before yourself.” (Romans 12:10) In Philippians 2:3 it says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

Do you notice when your pride rises to the surface and you feel hurt? It’s in that moment, when God wants to rescue you from pride. It is God who helps us be a servant of one another. It is God who helps us rejoice with those who succeed more than us. It is God who helps us enjoy making others a success. It is God who helps us respond in humility.

President Truman said “You can accomplish anything in life, provided you do not mind who gets the credit.” Timothy Keller says that humility is: “For it not to matter whether it was their success or your success. Not to care if they did it or you did it. You are so happy they did it as if you did it yourself.”

Let’s not care when the black cat steals the show. Ask God for the gift of humility.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.