I've been blessed by some truly humble people. One I remember most is Joan Hollister Gilbert. Joan was a delightful person who had a long, difficult, and courageous battle against cancer. During her illness, her husband, Jack, was diagnosed with cancer, and she had to deal with that and eventually with Jack's death.

A few years later when Joan was dying, with just a few days left to her life, she invited Charleen and me to come and sit by her bedside. She said she knew she was going to die, and she talked about it. Most people in my experience choose not to do that. She said she wasn't afraid. She said she was excited about entering the presence of God.

But that was by far the shortest part of the conversation. Most of the time she talked about people for whom she was concerned. She talked about us and our children. She talked about her children and the children of others.

I found out that on that day, and the day before, and the day after, leading right up to her death, she invited a whole list of people to come to her bedside so she could bless them before she died. Those who could not come she talked with on the telephone.

If anyone ever had a right to be self-concerned, and if ever there was a time when she had every justification to be primarily focused upon herself, it was Joan and it was then. But she lived out humility. She cared more about others and their needs than she cared about herself and her own needs. That's the way it was with Jesus. The humble person cares about people in need.