Without fanfare.

It's been an overwhelming week. Camera shots, video shoots, interviews, an avalanche of emailstextmessagesfacebookposts, well-wishes, hugs, revelations from God, people offering to buy me dinners and then, senior pastor announcing the news to the entire congregation.

I was afraid. Pride, is insidious.

But when I think about what God has brought me through, from the depths of the valleys out onto the open plains and now, onto the mountain-top, I realise just how grateful I really am, and how impossible it is to claim credit.

This time, things are different. I am thankful that not everyone knows about the news. I am thankful that many of my close friends neither read the papers that day nor watched the videos. Some of them have no idea. I am, in some way, thankful that days after the event, life goes on.

I am grateful, that God had waited for this time, so I would not feel like He was commending me simply for my "productivity". I am grateful, that God had waited for this time, just before the publication of A Taste of Rainbow, that I may be affirmed regarding my broken past. I am grateful, that even in the midst of fanfare, He reminded me, of the importance of humility, because He, though being highest of all beings, was humblest, smallest, and meekest.

I still remember that night, when everyone was about to head home from the empty ballroom, the organiser came up specially to my dad to say, "You must be very proud of your daughter."

Everyone there waited for a moment for his reply before he smiled and said, "OKAY LAAA."

Everyone burst out with laughter. That is why I love my dad. He keeps me humble. Okay laaa. That says: I'm still human. Still his little girl who exasperates him, haa. Don't fuss.

I learnt, that humility isn't about putting oneself down. Pushing other people's heartfelt well-wishes away smacks of false humility, and does nothing to love God either. True humility is, on the other hand, remaining true to oneself, holding an accurate gauge of one's abilities, and sincerely acknowledging God's blessings in our lives.

It was funny. That night, my prayer book read:

"God teaches that the most esteemed men and women

are not the self-congratulatory leaders of society

but are instead the humblest of servants.

But, as weak human beings,

we sometimes fall short as we seek to puff ourselves up

and glorify our own accomplishments.

To do so, is wrong.

Today, you may feel the temptation to

build yourself up in the eyes of your neighbours.

Resist that temptation.

Instead, serve your neighbours quietly

and without fanfare.

Find a need and fill it... humbly.

Lend a helping hand and share a word of kindness...anonymously.

This is God's way.

As a humble servant, you will glorify yourself,

not before men, but before God, and

that is what God intends.

After all, earthly glory is fleeting:

here today and gone soon.

But, heavenly glory endures throughout eternity.

So the choice is yours:

either you can lift yourself up here on earth

and be humbled in heaven,

or vice versa.

Choose vice versa."

- 100 days of prayer for women, day 22

So I thank you God, for the people who don't know, who treat me the same as they always did, who love me just the same, who say haa, it's no big deal, because God, you're the one who's amazing. You're the one who saved me.

Okay laaa. Life goes on. Without fanfare, life goes on.

" For whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
-Matthew 23:12

" And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death-

-even death on a cross!"
-Phil 2:8