parenting snot always fun. :)

Christmas continues at our house, with a constant reminder that the life of a parent means continually practicing the art of “less about me”.  Because the accident we went through in Chicago a week before Christmas wasn’t enough, the days before Christ’s birthday also became filled with ear infections, pink eye, and cough’s so raw it made you cringe.

I’ll give a big “Thanks Mom” at this point, because I know I didn’t have 100% healthy days growing up.

Any parent will nod with sympathy, at the feeling you get when your 3 year old comes up to you while you’re still half asleep.  She looks at you with those large, swollen pink eyes.  She rubs yet another layer of snot on her pajama sleeve, and coughs something that’s been working its way up all night long.  A miserable expression, and a moan.  She doesn’t have to say a word, you know she just needs to be held…comforted.

The hard part comes 2 days later, when you’ve got the aches, the stuffy head, and the cough that feels like sandpaper must be lodged deep inside your throat somewhere.  You feel like you need to spend an entire day in a bed that alternates between a menthol steam-room, and a hot tub made of feathers.  But there’s no time…all 3 kids are sick, and you’re very being is wrapped around caring for them.

“The Word became flesh, and made it’s dwelling among us.”  As our pastor reminded us this past week, Jesus wasn’t the “new/updated plan” when an earlier effort didn’t work.  God had always intended on “God with Us”.  He saw the broken and suffering state of his creation/people, and moved to be with them – even knowing that by doing so – he would be broken by the very same ailment.  The same brokenness that caused his people to suffer, would bring him pain and suffering like we could never imagine.  God Loved us, and as a father caring for his children – no matter the cost – He came and gave all.  In return, we are given more than comfort in our affliction – we are freed from it. 🙂

Imagine if holding our children while they’re ill caused us to be ill – and left them completely healthy?  Then imagine our children, free of all coughing and snot, going out to find their illness again.  Seems rather silly, doesn’t it?

So let’s live as the people of God who have been set free of sin and self!  The New Year beginning sure seems like an appropriate time to place “self” on the altar, and walk away.  Thanks be to God, for his indescribable gift! 🙂