Humbled By Humor

After seventeen sober years, one deeply engrained shortcoming remained. I decided to try really hard. . .for the umpteenth time. On my knees at bedtime I was ready to pray. I had planned all the usual heavy-duty mea culpas, replete with guilt and shame, pleas for forgiveness, promises to pray for those this shortcoming had harmed, apologies for not letting go, praises ad infinitum for my God's great mercy on this terrible sinner --err, shortcomer --and a very long grocery list of things I wanted to say to God, ending, of course, with the usual half-hearted request that he remove this shortcoming of pride and lust.