There’s a quiet presence to humility. It’s gentle. You experience it in butterfly exhibits and hospital rooms. A deference to the other. A gentle touch that affirms dignity. It’s also evident on airplanes when someone stops to help the elderly couple lift their carry-ons into the overhead bin. A fragrance of grace in the urgent aisle.

Humility costs the one who wields it. It comes at the expense of ego, of being known or served, or of getting the best seat. Humility serves while others squeeze by. Curiously, there’s joy in this. It’s the thing within us that resonates with the One who created us. The One who sacrificed Himself to heal, bless, and befriend us. It’s why He gives grace to the humble. The way to God isn’t with accomplishments. It’s with humility.