Watch Where You Step

 This morning at 7:20am there was a shit storm of epic proportions.  I was on the phone with my mother when the bowels of hell opened.  Most drama starts when mama is on the phone.  

Tucker was crying in a heap on the carpet. Minutes before, I’d rescued him when he fell between some toys.  I thought he’d simply gotten himself in another tangle.  

Sweet Mazie saying she's sorry for the accident. 

Phone dangling between my shoulder and ear I bent down to help him up.  My nose was the first to realize this wasn’t a normal plop.  You see, my puppy’s stomach had been upset as evidenced by the horror baby Tuck had found himself in.  

I had scanned the carpet less than an hour before.  How did this happen?

Answers to that question would have to wait as I bid a hasty adieu to my mother.  

I carried the squalling, wriggling toddler to the changing table; facing outwards so not to spread fecal material to my clothes.  Laying him down I took in a sight that will haunt me for years to come.  

This poor babe had poo smeared from the top of his head to his wee little socks.  His arms, shirt and hair were coated.  He was hysterical, driven mad by the smell and was bucking like a bull right out the rodeo gates.  Kicking and rolling, it took extra patience to wipe him down without contaminating the table.

I believe it was divine intervention that kept the smell from assaulting my nose.  Not for a second did I lose my patience with this red-faced twisting tornado.  He knew he was up to his eyeballs in shit, and he didn’t want to be.  

Half a pack of wipes and a hair wash changed his attitude for the better.  He settled down and I was able to dress him into clean clothes.  I did a quick wash of his hair and put him in the highchair so I could clean the floor.  This is not an advertisement for the Bissel Little Green Machine, but that little unit made it like it never happened.  

Later, on the ride to preschool I began thinking about how we handle those moments when we fall headlong into shit by no fault of our own.  How often do we succumb to the same reaction when adversity knocks us down?

This poor babe was paralyzed as his senses were assaulted by the smell. He literally couldn’t move or even begin to try and get away.  Even after he was freed, and the cleanup was beginning he fought me because he was stuck at injustice of it all.  

Understandably, it can seem impossible to move forward when calamity strikes.  There are times when all we can do is lay there, cry and wait for help. There will be times when we are the ones to scoop up our friends and help them. We comfort others with the same comfort we’ve received from God. 

I’m grateful Jesus is my ever-present help in time of trouble.  

Let us pray-

Heavenly Father, thank you that you are above all and in all.  Help us as we go out through our day to be wise where we step.  That you would surround us and go before us. When we see others around us who’ve fallen into trouble, give us hands to help.  Bless us with love so we can love others.  In Jesus name. Amen