You’re Welcomed, Dirty Diapers and all!

The year was 2011. A day that was pretty historic for Jan and I, freshly minted, newly married euphoric couple. We were babysitting my cousin’s 18 month old daughter who with the move from Delhi has been little short of terrified if not overwhelmed by all the new faces and places around. Needless to say, she had no idea what these two new people in the house were really up to. Anyways, after a few hours of trying to hide from us, sleep and bit of crying, we began to realize she had dirty diapers on! Now for the challenge – How do we befriend her, convince her that we’re not out to kill her and get her to change into clean diapers? The very sight of us and she would run scared and cling to her 7 year old brother who had no clue about changing diapers.

It was the same story with Jan and I. Neither of us had ever changed a baby’s diaper. And so if this was going to be pulled off, it was going to be the first for both of us! Well, I guess she figured the inevitable was about to transpire for when she saw us walking around with clean diapers and wet wipes, she knew and ran for cover. Fortunately for us, she ran into one of the bathrooms. After a few moments of fruitlessly trying to wave the diaper at her to win her confidence, we decided – we’ve just got to do what we’ve got to do! And so in one clean swoop, I ran, picked her up, laid her on the mat. Arms waving all around while the baby was wailing and letting out sounds akin to those let out by torture victims. We were doing our best to get the diaper off, keep her on the mat and clean her all at the same time. Jan and I, if ever we learnt to tag team and work together, this little exercise really helped.

And when the dirty diaper was off, and baby cleaned, we held the fresh diaper in our hand and that’s when it hit us. The one question that’s stumped many a clueless couple – “How do you tell the front from the back!” Well, after finally scrutinizing the specimen and applying some common sense we got around it, and voila – The baby was in a fresh diaper and soon was smiling and playing away oblivious to the grand efforts it took to get her all cleaned up. And we were glad too, because we wouldn’t want her any other way.

Well, apart from learning how to change a diaper hands-on, I couldn’t help relating this little incident to how God feels so many times in our lives. Have you ever felt like you’re carrying around baggage that can sometimes stink like a dirty diaper? It’s heavy because it just seems to be piling on crushing you under its weight. It stinks because of how long it’s been there with no respite in sight. Yup! Baggage can be heavy, can be stinky. Baggage from the past, a failed relationship, bitterness, anger, resentment, jealousy, hurt, addictions et al. and so many times, we’re oblivious to how heavy it is or how much it stinks because of how long we’ve had it on and how we’ve grown into it. We’ve carried it around for so long that we think this is what life’s really like. And we buy into lies like, “There’s nobody out there who understands or cares, this is the way it’s been, this is the way it’s always going to be”.

So many times we’re groping in the dark and feel like this is just about as “real” as it gets. Is it any wonder why we repel light like we do? Listen to what the Bible says

“God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to put the world right again… This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.”

Knowing there’s a God who can be your Father, knowing his love for you and seeing how his love and power on the inside of you can change you and free you – these are foreign to us because we just can’t bring ourselves to believe that life can be any different. We’re blinded by the very baggage we carry. And like a growing tumour, the baggage gets bigger and more stinky.

Here’s the truth, God loves you with an everlasting love and he’s drawing you closer with his loving kindness. What about the baggage you may ask? How do you deal with it? That’s just it, you can’t deal with things you weren’t designed to fight. You can’t try to give what you do not have in your heart to give. He can put his love and forgiveness in you and fill you up. Father God will deal with the darkness, the baggage, the dirty diapers. He loves you too much to allow you to walk around with them. And even if at times it feels like He’s out to kill you, He’s not! The Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Nothing you do can surprise him and nothing you do can make him love you less. He loves you and he’s got a life, abundant life in store for you. Even if it feels new and different – it’s real. Don’t be caught hanging around with dirty diapers on! Run to Jesus today, dirty diapers and all and exchange it for his life. And if you don’t know which one needs changing, God will show you in his time.

That’s why Paul said,

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

You don’t just step into a relationship with him through the cleansing power of his life given for us at the cross. But we are sustained in Him through his power actively working in us everyday. Plug in today. Press in, not just for a wash, but for the power to live the God-life. The door is open. Don’t wait anymore. You’re welcomed, dirty diapers and all.

Love!

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