an ode to dirty diapers
Never has a task felt so repetitive and so mundane.
Nonetheless, never has a task felt so needed and so incredibly purposeful:
Changing. Yet. Another. Dirty. Diaper.
From soiled to clean, once again.
And it would be silly to become frustrated with the task when these youngsters we care for are so little that they're simply unable to control these natural bodily functions. It isn't a perfect analogy, but bear with me. Or if we're talking about the baby on your lap, maybe it would be better suited to say "bear down" with me as they fill their pants again! Ok, that's probably taking my inner labor/delivery nurse bodily-function-language-filter (or lack thereof) too far. You'll have to bear down with me, too. Oops. Too far, again? Well, there goes the hope for a smooth delivery of this topic! Ha! Are you laughing with (or at) me yet?
Ok, but for real:
I can't help but think: Is this perhaps how God views the cleansing of our sin?
Repetitive. Purposeful. Nasty. Stinky. Needed.
We are soiled, and He graciously cleanses us, over and over.
We repeatedly sin. Our babies repeatedly fill their diapers. Let's imagine our sins as if they are dirty diapers or the spit up on one of those perfectly white onesies. Those sins make us frustrated. Cold. Wet. Dirty. Our spit up is all over our once-clean onesies. Our poop is all over those previously-clean diapers (and perhaps up our backs, too). Blowout style. But over and over again, Jesus changes our sinful "diapers." He cleanses us, "white as snow" (or white as your brand-new onsies used to be). He's got your back (pun intended).
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Sometimes the only way to ask for a change is to cry - we cry for God's mercy, forgiveness, and help. Because, alone, just like our babies, we can't do anything to cleanse ourselves.
He looks at us, and out of His great love for us, He changes us. He sees His image imprinted in us, and He loves us. Just like we look at our babies and see ourselves in their sweet little faces, God sees Himself, or his "likeness" in us (Genesis 1:27).
Ever heard anyone say, "you look like your daddy!!"?
Well, so do we. And our Heavenly Father, our Heavenly "Daddy," cares about us as if we're made in His image, because we ARE!
As you stare at that sweet little reflection of your face on the changing table, you get to choose to cheerfully change him or her, yet again. Whether it's in the middle of the night or just at in "inconvenient" time during your day, when they're dirty, you take care of their little backsides.
And even a gas-bubble grin makes it all worthwhile. So stinkin' (literally, sometimes) cute.
Just as you delight in your baby, God delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17). In fact, God sings over us. If you're struggling to find joy in changing another diaper, try singing a song while you do it. It helps!! God doesn't delight in our sin, but He delights in cleansing us. I've never heard a mom say, "I delight in my baby's poop!" No, that would sound ridiculous. That would, in fact, be ridiculous. But, nonetheless, you change their poopy diapers because you have immense love for them. You delight in your baby as nobody else can or does, because he or she is "made in your likeness." And so, you change them. Again.
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While that verse may be out of context in this analogy, it may be my favorite diaper-changing verse because it reminds me of the truth of the hope we have in Christ's future coming. I recommend reading that whole chapter for the context of where that verse is actually taking us, but, sleep or no sleep, we can be sure God will "change" us for the better.
Are you seeing the connection? I find it pretty cool that God can reveal more of His character through the simplest things, like diaper changes.
With that, here's my final word for today:
Stop filling your diaper with sin so often - but rejoice in the fact that God changes your dirties and wipes you clean, over and over. He is faithful, and he won't leave you in your mess.
#spreadtheword
#dirtydiapers
