Oddly Placed Plungers and Greasy Hair

by Mindy

I had a mother of a preschooler in my office this week. In the middle of our conversation her son anxiously announced that he needed to use the "potty". The mother directed her son to the restroom just outside my door and we continued with our relatively serious discussion. After a few minutes, the young boy walked back into my office and enthusiastically declared, "The plunger sticks to the wall!"

Stunned, the mother and I looked at one another for a moment without saying a word. As the child's statement sunk in, I tried desperately to stifle a laugh. The mother looked at me sheepishly. I couldn't maintain my composure another second. I laid my face down on my desk and burst into laughter.

My son turned fifteen recently. I spent the entire day reflecting on precious memories of similarly embarrassing, but equally hilarious moments. When my son was about three, we invited friends over who had a daughter about his age. I was horrified to find that while the adults were conversing in the living room, our rather adventurous son and the agreeable girl emptied an entire jumbo sized jar of petroleum jelly on their heads in an attempt to make their hair "shiny".

Another time, our little entrepreneur gathered acorns from the Oak tree in our front yard, and then unbeknownst to me went door to door selling them to nearby residents for three cents each. Remarkably, our light hearted and amazingly patient neighbors bought every acorn those pudgy little hands could carry! I know the sheepish look of that young mother all too well.

The psalmist wrote, Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him (Ps. 127:3)

As every mother knows, parenting young children can be exhausting and frustrating at times. How I wish I'd known how much I would treasure the memories of my son's antics. It's amazing how quickly Big Wheels are exchanged for automobiles, and nursery rhymes swapped for pop music.

If you have small children, thank God for His gift every single day. Relish the hugs, delight in the kisses, and laugh at oddly placed plungers and greasy hair. They are evidence of your reward!

Mindy writes Bible studies and speaks to women's groups with messages of encouragement and hope. She served on staff at Cy-Fair Christian Church as Director of Curriculum Development for three years and is the founder of Fruitful Word Ministries. Mindy lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and two children.