Potty training wasn’t working out so well Thursday for Olive, my 2¾-year-old granddaughter. After two hours, she’d soaked through four pairs of panties, pants and socks but not one drop made its way to the potty chair. I RECKON ministers can relate, especially at this time of year when they want to shout from the rooftops, “Christ is risen!”
And while she enjoyed having me sit on the floor beside her as we read book after book, it did nothing to relax whatever reflex is necessary to go pee.
Most of the afternoon she ran around the house stripped from the waist down, which she took a particular delight in.
Up until my arrival the progress had been steady. She was 50-50 for Wednesday. And because I could give the process my undivided attention I was rather confident we could show mom and dad they’d been making way too much out of it with the books, videos and rewards all concentrated on you know what.
Trouble is, there was no “we” in the bargain. And after awhile the fun of being half-naked and being joined at the hip wore off. In fact, the effort was backfiring.
It must be frustrating to know God’s awesomeness in a world of Doubting Thomases. It takes constant shepherding to keep a flock on the path to God. And sometimes the more we insist on knowing “the way,” the more people veer off.
You grow a faith.
Through trials and tribulations. Celebrations. Friendships.
You learn to see God’s presence in all these things and how He has been there all along, sometimes in the wings, other times as a leading role.
Luckily, God is patient as we make our way into His grace.
Thursday night, Olive came down with a fever.
Had I known, I would have foregone the potty exercise entirely and put the focus on simply making her feel comfortable.
The other will come in its own due time.
—Susan Lynn
To everything there is a season; faith and potty training
