Don't Touch Me...Yet

As a mother of two small children and a daycare provider, I deal with a lot of poop, snot, ooey gooey boogers, sticky fingers, slimy hands, muddy feet, sand-filled shoes, and spilled milk.  For the most part none of these aspects of motherhood bother me all that much.  Perhaps I am immune to the grossness, as I think is inherent in being a mom.  Or maybe I have just become accustomed to the nastiness and thus it no longer phases me.  Whatever the case, it's part of my life, which I love.  Wouldn't want to change it for the world.  I am soooooo blessed!

HOWEVER, that does mean that I like, or enjoy, those yucky aspects of my "job."  I don't wake up in the morning all giddy at the prospect of changing diapers, wiping runny noses, or cleaning mess after mess after mess.  I may not be thrilled at what my day my hold, but I don't shy away from it either.

I just make sure I have a box of wipes near-by at all times.  And a good towel to put between me and Kellah after she's eaten so that I don't get covered in blueberries, mashed bananas, partially chewed carrot, yogurt, or whatever else she may have had for that particular meal or snack.  I love my baby girl, but I don't exactly relish getting snot on my shirt sleeve or spit up on my pants.  Hence, the wipes and towels.  Also, my hold-the-baby-at-an-arm's-length-so-as-not-to-get-dirty-myself technique, at which I am becoming an expert.

As I was doing my best to keep Kellah from getting me dirty the other morning, I was struck with the thought at how different my relationship with God would be if He did the same thing, if He kept me at an arm's length until I got myself all cleaned up.

Good thing He doesn't do that, or He would still be waiting.  Because I will never, ever be completely "clean," at least not in this lifetime.

I am reminded of Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrated His love for us in that WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, Christ died for us."

If God required us to change before He loved us, we would be lost for all eternity.  If we had to meet His perfect standards before He accepted us, we would forever get a big, fat, red F on our righteousness/godliness/worthiness report card.  ONLY because of God's grace and mercy does He let us come to Him, covered in dirt, filthy with sin.  And like any good mother, He doesn't let us stay that way.  He cleans us up.

Isaiah 1:18 tells us, "'Come now, let's settle this,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them white as wool.'"

Jesus modeled this love-you-just-like-you-are attitude throughout His ministry.  When He healed people, He didn't wear gloves or a face mask.  He didn't keep His distance from the diseased, the ill, the lame.  Instead, He let them come to Him, to touch Him.  In fact, He often initiated the contact between Himself and those who needed His healing touch.

Just this week, Coralyn brought home a picture she had colored during her class at church.  Quite fittingly, it was of Jesus healing a leper.  Yet another reminder, God seemed to be telling me, that I need to love like He does.  I need to hold my kiddos close, even if they are covered in blueberries, have snot running down their face, and smell like the poop in their dirty diaper.  For as I love "the least of these," I am loving my Jesus.