Potty Party

Posted on by

Who knew potty training could be fun? I have only fuzzy memories of training our 7 but got a fresh chance to participate this week. Before I came to the UK, my daughter-in-law Katy asked me whether or not I’d be up for co-potty-training when I got there. By “co” I mean two of us and two of them. It sounded like a potty party to me, so I signed on.

Katy and my British grands met me at the Manchester airport in northern England: 3 year old Nicholas and 2 year old twins, Thomas and Evelyn. As we drove toward their home, Katy said, “The twins are wearing their last nappies. I thought we’d jump right in!”

As always, Katy was well prepared. In the kitchen were two newly-purchased blue and pink potties, and a big box of supplies: wipes, baggies, disinfectant sprays for both tile and carpet, TP, a timer, stacks of dry undies, and clean trousers. My part was to bring the rewards from America: tiny Smarties candies.

Katy explained the process to Evelyn and Thomas while I listened in, and we handed them pairs of dry undies and put them on their potties for a trial run. It ended in a piece of candy for Thomas and tears for Evelyn who “couldn’t make it come.” But when the timer buzzed every 15 minutes and Katy sang out, “Who wants to earn another sweetie?” it didn’t take long for them to run for the potties.

As they produced appropriately, we applauded and cheered enthusiastically. By day six we were 90% and even dry after naps. Running errands was a challenge with its potty-packing preparations and rapid runs for public bathrooms, but day by day the new habit was established and success became the norm.

After all, bribery works.

Most of us need incentives to push through obstacles that stand between us and our goals, and a few perks along the way make it more likely we’ll get there. Nothing’s wrong with rewards for little steps well taken and a job well done.

God often works with us this same way, not with “sweeties” but with sweet blessings as we trudge through tough times. He periodically calls to us just as we called to the twins. “Come on, let’s try again!” He suggests we quash a bad habit or mend a relationship, help a needy friend or say yes to a service opportunity. “If you’ll just try, I’ll cheer you on and be ready with a reward,” he says. Then we can either stop trying, or take him up on his offer.

As for the cheering at our potty party, the twins eventually began tending to their needs on their own. We put away the timer, along with everything else except the candy. Eventually, though, they won’t even need that.

“Anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Pat-a-Pat

Posted on by

“Stop right there, ma’m,” the airport security woman said. “Keep your feet on the markers.” Those lining up behind me ready to pass through the magnetic archway rolled their eyes and sighed, but that didn’t stop her from sliding the gate-ribbon across their path, shutting down the line.

“We have to swab your hands,” she said, snapping on blue rubber-gloves. Then she brushed a small white tab over my hands, front and back.

“Wait here,” she said, walking away with the paper strip. When she returned, she was shaking her head.

“Uh oh,” I said.

“Yup.” Then she motioned to her cohort. “We have an RPD.”

“Follow me,” she said, as airport personnel gathered my carry-on bag, coat, computer, and shoes. When I tried to help, she said, “No. Don’t touch.”

Two women accompanied me into a small room with no windows and closed the door. Both pulled on rubber gloves, and I figured I was in for some excitement, but it turned out to be just a thorough pat-down. “Sensitive areas will be touched only with the backs of my hands,” she said.

“What are you looking for?” I said.

“Chemicals. You’re undergoing a resolution pat-down.” After she was through, she carefully took another paper strip and brushed it all over her gloves, then fed it into a machine resembling a heart monitor with a graph line across its screen.

After studying the results she said, “You’re clear, dear,” and set me free to board my scheduled flight to England. I wanted to ask questions but didn’t want to rock her security-boat, so gathered my things and silently walked away.

Sometimes it’s best to say nothing at all.

Maybe our tendency to say too much is why so many Scriptures deal with our mouths. We read about tongues speaking slander, strife, evil, deceit, lies, and perversion… and those are just for starters.

It also speaks of tongues of gentleness, kindness, singing, righteousness, joy, healing, and praises to God.

Apparently the choice is ours.

Words are important to God. We’re told in the Bible that all the books in the world couldn’t contain the things Jesus did, let alone everything else in other biblical categories. Yet God chose only certain words to include in our Bibles, each one significant.

Human words are important too, since they reveal our opinion of the words God gave us in the first place. If we use words of slander, lies, deceit, or perversion, it’s as if we’re throwing his word-choices back at him in favor of our own. If we believe his words and honor them with obedience, our mouths will speak gentleness, kindness, joy, and righteousness.

Proverbs tells us even a fool might appear wise if she keeps her mouth shut (i.e. me during the RPD), but a higher goal would be to go ahead and talk, but to make sure our words are pleasing to God.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)

Balancing Act

Posted on by

My grandson Micah was recently gifted with something I’d never seen before: a balancing bike. It resembles a small two-wheeler but has no pedals and relies on push-power to move.

Although Micah is only two, he took to it immediately and has learned to sail down the length of his driveway without taking a tumble. He shoves off, then lifts his feet, and whoosh, down he goes, managing the tricky art of balancing. At some point he’ll want a traditional bike with pedal-power, but for now he and his wheels are inseparable.

Parents find themselves coaching their young children to learn several other balance-related maneuvers too, the first of which is learning to sit up at about 6 months. After that it’s walking, pumping a swing, rollerblading, ice skating, and others, all needing balancing expertise.

Certain kids take to balancing naturally (like Micah) while others need prolonged assistance and encouragement. After children master the physical art of balancing (say, their pre-teen years), they’re ready for the much harder task of balancing their lives. For some, even that comes easily, but the rest of us struggle, wobbling or even crashing completely once in a while.

And that’s where God comes in.

Children don’t need him to hold the seat of a two-wheeler or run alongside, because he’s given that assignment to parents. His balance-assistance is for grown-ups, since we’re the ones so often doing it poorly by ourselves.

Years ago The Tonight Show’s host, Johnny Carson, invited a plate-spinning comedian to perform one of those chaotic demonstrations we all love, but this performer was absolutely the best. He kept a dozen plates spinning atop wiggly sticks while balancing three more on his forehead, nose, and chin.

Surely he’d had a triple-espresso before coming on stage. His body was a blur as he leapt back and forth along the sticks, rescuing some just seconds before they threatened to crash to the floor. He was a balancing aficionado.

Of course this isn’t what God means when he asks us to bring balance to our lives. But plate-spinning mania is often the way we feel day-to-day while trying to meet our varied commitments. So what do we do?

We follow Micah’s example, tackling one balancing act at a time. If he’d started with a balancing bike, a pedal bike, and a mountain bike all at once, he’d have been in for some nasty road rash. The same goes for spinning plates. Few is preferable to frenetic, and with the first broken plate, back-pedaling is our only solution.

All of us have limits on what we can accomplish, limited time, energy, money, motivation, skills. But if we let God hand us exactly what he wants us to balance, he’ll never let us tip out of balance. After that, if we add any “plates” against his advice, it won’t be long before we’ll need a broom, a dust pan, and a revised balancing-plan from the Lord.

“Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)