My wife Kelly and I were awakened
at 3am by our crying almost three-year-old, Annie Rose. Annie is newly
potty-trained, and still has the occasional nigh-time accident. On this early
weekday morning she had completely wet her bed.
I stumbled into her room, still
half-asleep myself. Annie’s window and ceiling-fan were circulating comfortable
summer-air. But she was cold, curled in the fetal position and crying…soaked in
her soiled nightclothes and sheets. Observing her in this sad state reminded me
of how very needy my smart, “independent” little girl is of her father.
I gently scooped up Annie from her
wet bed. Her skin was cold and sticky to the touch and her body was rigid. Her
long wavy hair was stuck to her round cheeks from tears and pee. She resisted
my help, squirming and crying for mommy. We made our way in the dark to the
bathroom.
Annie Rose’s cry was sad and
fearful. Like any parent, my heart was flooded with compassion, love, and patience.
I offered her my assurance that daddy was going to make everything okay. I
gently wiped Annie’s shivering body with a warm facecloth and wrapped her in a
dry towel. Only then did she stop crying (and resisting).
I put her into clean cloths and
sat her on a chair while I changed her sheets. Annie wanted to know if Mr. Moon
was out. I looked through her window skyward, then turned back to tell her that
Mr. Moon was behind the clouds but she was already asleep. I placed her back into
bed and headed downstairs.
Unlike Annie Rose, I was unable to
fall back asleep. Each time I closed my eyes I saw myself in that frightened child: curled-up and soiled from sin…resistant to my Father’s help. I thought of how Christ attends to His children in
much the same way; with compassion,
love, patience and offering an assurance…that by trusting in the Father, He
will not forsake me in my times of need…that the cost of my filth...my sins...were paid by
Christ’s blood on the cross…and that in Him I am clean.
I am amazed by the things I am learning from my children!
"And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:2-4 (ESV)
