I spotted the brown goo on Micah’s hands as he crawled past me on the kitchen tile. What is that?
Taking a closer look, I discovered both of my 10-month-old grandson’s hands were smeared with something dark and sticky. The trail on the floor led from Micah’s current location in front of the refrigerator, out of the kitchen, across the hallway, and into his room.
I was talking to Kelley, my daughter, on the phone. She had just called from work to check on us. As I followed the brown trail, I mentioned to Kelley that Micah had gotten into something and I was investigating.
When I entered the doorway of his room, the answer hit me. Kelley, gotta go!
Used diapers lay scattered and open on the floor. Their previous contents were also dispersed in various locations on the hard wood and area rug.
I snatched Micah up and hurried to the bathroom. First, I conducted a thorough inspection of his face, lips, and mouth. Clean, thank you Lord! Next, I washed his hands and forearms, digging brown particles out from underneath his tiny fingernails. Amazingly, his clothes were goo-free.
The next step was the floor. I plopped Micah in his crib. From his safe vantage point, he watched Nana undo the mess he had made. Diapers. Brown blobs and smears. Floor. Carpet. Disinfectant.
Micah is my first grandbaby. My baby skills were flabby. Nana learned the hard way that the diaper pail is not baby proof. I also got a nasty reminder that it doesn’t take but a moment for little ones to get into something.
Caring for little ones requires diligence, constant supervision, and eyes in the back of your head. I dropped the ball this time, but I learned my lesson. Micah will not get in the diaper pail again on my watch.
Unfortunately, I don’t learn spiritual lessons as quickly. I get myself into a sinful mess, my heavenly Father picks me up, cleans me up, and sets me on the right path. Sometimes I learn to avoid that mess, but sometimes, before long, I’m right back to the same gooey pile.
Oh, Lord, help me to be quick to learn. Help me to respond to your discipline. And thank you for picking me up, again and again.
What about you? Has your heavenly Father cleaned up any of your messes lately?
love this! I have a similarly themed Abby story that she won’t let me blog yet. My mom was worried I’d share it at your FBC women’s event a couple of weeks ago. One day… 🙂
Ha! Micah isn’t old enough to tell me not to tell! But I probably won’t be able to tell it too much longer!
Oh I think we all have been there at least once. I remember one time when our daughter was little in the middle of the night she woke up crying and I knew it wasn’t a ‘bad’ cry mom’s know the difference so I let her go back to sleep. The next morning I went into her room and there were little tiny bloody hand prints all over the wall and all over her bed and apparently she had a bloody nose in the night and it had dried all over her face. BOY did I feel awful. It was a bit creepy to see those little hands on the wall.
“Goo”…that’s a great description! lol When my kids were little, I had an experience or two similar to yours with your grandson! It’s a good thing that messes like that can be cleaned up with soap and water. And, it is even better that our BIG messes can be cleaned up with the Living Water! I am so thankful!!
Blessings, Joan
Joan, I love that! God does indeed clean our messes with “Living Water!”