Butts Up!: A (bruised) Tale in Humility

One of my favorite summer activities as a kid was tubing the Salt River. Lest those of you from moister climates envision it to be something like this:

The Salt River, as it runs through Phoenix, looks like this:

What's that? No water, you say? That's right. The Salt is a just a massive dry riverbed in the middle of central Phoenix used only to accommodate flash floods during the monsoon season. Further east of the city, however, there is water and, depending on the year, it can be quite full. If said weather conditions were in place, my family and lots of others like us would take our desert dwelling selves to the river for a day of tubing.

At many points the river is wide and at least chest deep, but at others it is quite shallow and full of exposed rocks that one must avoid by, wait for it...standing up and walking down the river. Then there are the most dangerous places. The ones that look deep or at the very least deep enough to stay in your tube floating merrily along, but really hide large river rocks. The only way to avoid a rear full of stone is to listen for a very distinctive warning from those further down river...."BUTTS UP!" At which point you know to lean back and lift your behind out of your tube and enjoy the ride, hopefully avoiding any painful encounters with nature.

I cannot tell you how many times I've recalled this obscure idea, especially after I've done something stupid that could have been avoided. Anytime I've heeded a warning from someone further down the "river" than me in any area; parenting, ministry, marriage etc. I've been able to avoid some kind of smack to the behind. If, however, I don't, and I proceed in my own knowledge, ignoring the advice of a more seasoned rider, I often end up finding out just how hard river rocks can be. On one such summer tubing trip, I decided I wanted to impress a boy by getting, what I hoped would be, a fantastic tan. I made the genius decision to not wear any sunscreen at all...for a whole day...outside...down a river...in the summer...in Arizona. My dad tried to warn me a few hours into the trip that I was getting red, but I persisted...BUTTS UP! He told me it would hurt and that I should really, really consider putting on some sunscreen...BUTTS UP! He strongly advised me to lather up should I end up a swollen, blistered mess...BUTTS UP! I. Did. Not. Listen. Sitting, standing, generally just breathing, was painful for a really long time. BUTTS UP, indeed.

So what's the moral of the story? Don't tube rivers in desert? No! In fact, absolutely tube the Salt if you get a chance. (I've seen, on more than one occasion, wild horses roaming the river banks, which is pretty much awesome.) You should always wear sunscreen? Well, yes, that is a small but important moral. Ninth grade boys are not, it turns out, attracted to a lobster masquerading as an eighth grade girl.

No, the moral of the story is that humility is the key to traveling life's river as abundantly as possible. Submit yourself to the idea that you do not know everything and put yourself in a position to learn. Find those who've gone ahead of you and seek out their wisdom. Ask questions and be open to, not just hearing their answers, but putting some of them into practice. It may be the difference between a fun summer day and a bruised bottom.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

-Proverbs 11:2 (ESV)