Things My Kids Have Taught Me About God. Part 1

Well...as promised, here is the first little essay I wrote. As is my usual custom, I had to agonize over every little word and grammatical error, like I do with everything I write, and considered not sharing it at all, but I HAD promised to post it, so ready or not, here it is...

As I neared the top of the stairs, I could tell (and smell) that trouble was brewing. Squeals of laughter and exaggerated gagging and retching noises were coming from my two oldest children. Thinking this would be a good time to investigate, I entered the room and demanded to know what they were up to. “Moooommmm she stiiiiinnnkkks  Peeeeewwwwww!!!they said, grabbing their throats and gagging. And there sat my little angel, my pride and joy, in her crib, with the contents of her diaper merrily smeared everywhere. In her hair. On her face. On her Clothes. Everything, even the crib and the walls adjacent to her crib, had been painstakingly finger painted. My heart sank as I took in the scene. Seeing me, she babbled a happy greeting and held her arms up to me to pick her up. “All right you guys” I said to my older children in my best mommy-means-business voice, “out!” They beat a hasty retreat downstairs, fearing I may involve them in the clean up process. I turned to my baby and eyed her for a moment, trying to come up with a plan of attack, one that would keep me the cleanest. Wishing I had a large set of salad tongs to pick her up with, I gingerly scooped her up and carried her at arms length to the bathroom. “Come here princess, let’s get you cleaned up” I said soothingly, as I ran a nice tub full of Baby Magic bubbles and quickly undressed her and put her into the tub. I lovingly washed her hair, scrubbed her chubby pink cheeks, and wrapped her in a warm towel to dry off. I lotioned, powdered and re-diapered her little bum and dressed her in a fresh new outfit. I even clipped her nails and put a pretty barrette in her hair, and kissed her now Baby Magic fresh cheeks. Then I sat her on the floor next to me with a few toys and got busy on her crib. Stripping the soiled bunny comforter and stuffed animals, I headed toward the washer and got everything into the wash. I scrubbed and sanitized the crib and put fresh, clean blankets down. I was happy and satisfied to see my little girl all sweet and clean again! Watching as she played happily near me, the thought struck me that this must be how God sees us, his children: There we sit, in our messes, usually of our own making. We don’t smell very good, and people don’t want to be around us, and we are powerless to change our own situations. Did I love my baby? Absolutely! Does God love us? Absolutely! But just as my child was unacceptable to me, we were unacceptable to God and only he, through his own blood could clean us up. Mercifully, he lifts us out of our messes and gently and lovingly cleanses and restores us to himself. And after he cleans us up, he gets busy on our crib so to speak, and he cleans up where (and how) we live. I am so thankful God in his mercy did not throw us out, even when we desperately deserved it!  In spite of our messes and failures, when we reach out to him he is faithful and just to forgive us.

Virginia