I went to get Reagan out of bed this morning and found him sitting in a big stinky pile of puke….I know that’s gross….but it made me proud of myself. I didn’t get sick, I didn’t get grossed out – I just went into mommy mode and took care of it. I would do anything for my little man, including cleaning up his bodily fluids.
I know, I know – TMI… but this gets me thinking about how we approach other stinky things in our lives. The past couple of years have been one big stinky pile of mess after another – and while the easy thing would be to just walk away and let someone else clean up the crap, that’s not what I was raised to do. God would never allow more to get dumped on me than I could handle, so He must think I’m a pretty strong person. I can do all things through Christ because He has made me stronger than I give myself credit for. I can handle any situation that comes my way because He is in me and we’re working together on this thing. If I doubt my ability to handle a situation, then I doubt HIS ability to handle it, too. -Selah-
Abs of Steel 
I get sick dealing with other kid’s pooh. Somehow, that I am able to put that sick feeling aside when it is one of my boys’ mess.
I get the same way when I hear about the mess in the lives of other people, churches, families, etc. I don’t have a problem giving guidance, counsel, prayer, encouragement, etc. But, I am glad I do not have to do the “dirty work” of cleaning it up. In truth, I do not want to have to do the “diry work” of cleaning up my own personal, family or ministry pooh. But, God gives me the grace to get the job done… just like when the boys get violently sick. I think it’s the same grace.
I think the best way to deal with it is to just get a new haircut.
We should create a team called MPS – “Ministry Pooper Scoopers”
That would be neato.
You guys are all better people than I am, I get sick dealing with my own children’s messes. When they get sick so do I. I do it (unless of course Johnny is around), but I get sick in the process.
Mothers have that on/off switch that is pretty awesome. I can handle the stinky things from the kids but the whole time I’m wishing I had Rhino bed liner sprayed all over me kinda like the commercial where they drag the guy down the road to prove how tough it is. Things in all areas of life do get quite stinky we just have to be willing to flush it and forget it.
Speaking of stinky things. After working in the nursery for awhile now, I notice too many people talking to the children about the stinky things. Why don’t we talk about the good things while we are helping to clean up the stinky things? And keep reassuring them that it’s all most over.
When Jesus cleans up my stinky things He always tells me the good things that are to come, or what He is replacing the stinky’s with. I never encounter Holy Spirit and He say to me, look at all of this horrible pride I am wiping off of you, can you smell that? Eww, you really did a big one this time!
Jesus just cleans me up and wipes away my tears, and gives me hope for the future.
The stinky things never go away. The potty training and the virus clearing up are not the end. Later it may look like rebellious teenagers, unplanned children, mental illness, accidents and wars taking our children who have become adults.
But Jesus is a sweet smelling sacrifice for us. In the face of all of the stinky things we can come to Him and pour it all out before Him. I often think I cannot bear one more crushing blow. But I know I am in the Potters hands, and I just keep yielding to His molding. Then He puts the sweet smell inside me again, crushed and yielded I remain in Him the only sure stinky remover.
I’ve had a lot of stinky stuff to deal with for what seems an eternity. Everytime I think I can’t handle anymore and God is just going to come in and clean it up for me, I find I have even more stinky. Since I just want it to all go away without having to clean it up myself…and its still there, I dwell on it. Thank you Donna. You’re right, Jesus isn’t the one telling me how nasty the mess is, so why am I not listening to what He is saying?