Broken glass

Finally, after years of enduring the cracks in a shattered storm window, we bought a replacement. I watched as my husband tried carefully to slide the pane first one way, then another into the frame of the window. I could see how it almost fit, but no matter how he approached the job, the window simply would not go into the frame.
He removed the outer screen, he tried first from the side then from the top. He tried pressing, pulling and angling, but nothing worked.
It seemed to me that all it needed was a swift jab on the left hand side to nudge the metal pane holder past the aluminum frame. Once past this small obstacle, the glass would slide right into place. He must just be doing something wrong.
When he had exhausted all attempts, it was my turn.
"I will show him," I thought, "just how deft I am at gliding this pane past the lip of the frame and right into place."

I thought with satisfaction of his admiring gaze after I had competently done what he could not. The wonderwife, coming to the rescue.
I carefully looked over the situation. But only when I actually tried placing the pane could I see the problem. The glass was simply not going to fit.
Finally I had the pane within a millimeter of going into the frame of the window. Just a little brute force, I thought. Not too much, just enough.
"The glass is bending, watch out," warned my husband, but it was too late. One quick jab and CRACK! the new, thirty dollar pane was just as cracked as the one it had replaced.
What had just a little pride done?
Arrrgh!
I had not shown my husband how it's done. I had not triumphed with superior handyman skills. I had not demonstrated masterful handling of a sticky situation. I had not made him stare with awe at my ease of execution.
No.
A little pride. What can it hurt?
Well, ask Eve.
I've always thought that what MIGHT have motivated Eve into taking the fruit in the garden was the desire to show Adam something new. Before that moment, Adam had the advantage. He had named everything. He was first on the scene. He was Mr. Know-it-all, showing her everything he already knew about. Eve didn't know anything Adam hadn't already known about. She couldn't show him anything. She could only be shown stuff.
Finally, here was Eve's chance to experience something first, and more importantly, to show it to Adam.
Just a little pride, and it took down the whole world.
Pride goeth before a CRACK!
That's why I have to be on guard in my prayer life, so that I'm constantly seeking humility. And why I pray for my church that we won't start putting faith in numbers or programs or image. It's so easy to fall into pride as an individual or as an institution, and even a little can shatter a clear, holy panorama.