While a very dear friend of ours was out of state for a while her
4 year old daughter, Autumn, was spending the week at our home. One hot
mid-afternoon we were all out in the pool cooling off and having some fun when
Autumn decided she had to go 'pee' so I instructed her to go inside and use the
toilet.
I completely forgot about her and after some time went by (maybe
10 minutes) I had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. Then it
occurred to me. Autumn, Oh my dear, I forgot Autumn. I got out of
the pool and ran into the house dripping wet. I could hear Autumn crying, and
it kind of echoed through the house. "Autumn, Autumn, where are you!"
I was really worried. Her voice led me into the bathroom where she was
sitting on the pot.
"Autumn, what is it?" I said. Through her sobbing
she said what sounded like, "There'sabigANT in the toilet!, Waaaaaa, Sob,
Sob." She looked terrified. I didn't do anything right away. I was ready
with a lecture. "Its just a bug, it wont hurt you, quit crying it will be
okay, etc.,etc." Then I repeated what I thought she said, "There's a
big ant in the toilet??"
She said, "Nooooooo, I'm slipping in the toilet!"....
then I realized. She thought she was going down the drain, no wonder she
looked terrified... I quickly pulled her up off the seat and placed her on the
floor. " I'm so sorry Autumn. Are you alright?" , "Get dressed,
lets go outside where it's warm." The air conditioning was running
and she was shaking.
I was ready to give her a four point sermon when all she wanted
was help out of her trouble. I am learning to be "swift to hear,
slow to speak, and slow to wrath" as the Word says but we are so prone to
jump to conclusions, speak on first impulse, or assume we understand without
qualifying the situation.
"God help me to be swift to hear, help me to have compassion;
to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. I want You to
increase in my life, I want self to decrease."
The following day,
when it was time for Autumn to do her business
again,
I said "Don't fall in."
She replied, "No, Uncie Carl, It's only when I'm
slippery."
Made me think, we need to make sure we're not 'slippery',
and when we are we need to be willing to accept the 4 point sermon.
"He Must increase, WE must decrease!"
So true, Carl! Proverbs 18:13 says, "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."
ReplyDeleteWe as Christians are so quick to judge a matter before we hear all the implications and understand exactly what is being said, or what is happening, sometimes! The Bible says it is folly and shame to us if we do so!
It is hard to tell how many reputations and testimonies have been ruined as a result of answering a matter (and running our mouths in SELF-righteousness) before we fully understand what's happening! And you are right, it is self getting in the way!
We should always have more compassion and grace! Sometimes a situation looks evil but it is innocent. Sometimes something looks bad but it is just someone trying to get some much needed help, like Autumn was! Again the Bible says,"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." And, again "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
Now, I understand that open and rebellious sin in the Church cannot be tolerated, but many times what looks or sounds like "a big ant in the toilet" is actually not! It's something much more innocent! We SHOULD be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" as you have stated in this post, until we fully understand the situation (which may not happen this side of Heaven)!
Again, "He must increase, but I must decrease!"
Kids are sooooo cute! Cute story! Great post!
Donnie
Thank you Donnie. You are always so kind and thorough in your responses. I appreciate that about you.
DeleteKind regards brother,
Carl