Poop and Pride

As a PreK Director I’ve come to find that there’s something that should automatically be included in every PreK Director’s job description … and that is Bodily Fluid Cleanup.  In the last two years there have been times when I have cleaned up every bodily fluid known to man … in one service … sometimes even multiple times in one service.  It’s something that just comes with the territory!

This past weekend I found myself in one of those situations.  During one of the Weekend Services I was greeted by a panicked volunteer who had come to tell me that one of the kids had had an accident and there was “poop everywhere”.  I went to the room to inspect and see if poop really was everywhere.  Sure enough – there was poop everywhere!

One of the 3 yr olds had gone potty and then begun the cleanup process – which led to poop being smeared everywhere as he struggled to wipe himself.  It was on him, on the toilet, on the floor, on the sink, the toilet paper dispenser, even on the bag of wipes he had found in his efforts to clean up himself, the toilet, the floor, the sink, and so on.  As I ran to begin the process of calling mom and the cleaning crew our Children’s Pastor, Joe, helped me out by taking additional wipes and helping with the cleanup process in the bathroom.  In the midst of all the chaos the little boy couldn’t help but tell everyone that his mommy “was going to be so proud” – he had gone on the potty!

You see, all the little boy saw was that he had gone potty on the toilet … a HUGE accomplishment for any 3yr old – and especially when not at home.  But, we saw the mess that he had made in the process of his attempt to go potty. 

This week I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for an upcoming short term mission trip. I can’t help but think of this situation in light of that trip.  Often, in our efforts to “make God proud” we can only see the things we want to do during our one week trip … we want to fix everything and help everyone, but sometimes we have a tendency to make a bigger mess.

 Take a look at Isaiah 64:6a “We are all infected and impure with sin.  When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.”  At some point you’ll be excited about something you “did” for God – yet, in this verse, He compares it to a filthy rag because we are so messed up by sin.  It is God’s grace that allows us to do our very best … fall short every time … and yet still receive God’s never ending and everlasting love.  And its this same grace and love that covers those you encounter each day throughout your journey in life.

 

Who can you love today and show God’s grace and never-ending love to?