Life’s Spills – Mommy Sentiment-al

If it’s one thing I’ve learned in my little over two years as a mother, it’s that our children sometimes teach us much more than school ever could. They teach us about life, about people, and even about God.

Two nights ago, Charlie had a domed lemonade drink that my mom had left behind. He was climbing (and standing) in and out of his potty chair (obviously not the proper use) and I told him to be careful – that he could fall. Not more than one minute letter, he flew out of the potty, the drink went flying, and both went SPLAT! on the carpet in our bedroom. Jim quickly chided him and reminded him that we had told him to be careful and that things could happen. Jim then left to get something to clean up the spill.

What happened next will forever be embedded in my mind. Charlie ran out of the room, into the bathroom and grabbed four sheets of toilet paper. He went over to the spill, squatted down, and began to clean up the mess he had made. It was such a touching and sweet gesture from my little guy – a reminder that we just might be doing something right. I went over to help him, showing how blotting seems to work, and praising him for his thoughtfulness and attempts to clean. Then his Daddy came back with all the right tools and finished cleaning up the mess and told him just how much he loved him.

In that 3 minute scene, I was reminded of just how God operates. While He reminds us to be careful and watch out, we continue to go about our life and make messes. We are steered back in the right direction and reminded that we were told to be careful and to watch out. When we reach for something to clean it up, we realize just how inadequate our own methods are. He comes right behind us, making things right again, all the while reminding us how much He loves us. But we have to want His help and we have to remember that our efforts to fix things or to make things right are just as important. Charlie took that initiative on his own to make things better and his Daddy came through in the nick of time.