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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23, KJV

When my brother was too old to poop his Superman undies he did. I have two stories — each involves poop — but I think you will forgive me after you read. We lived in Bricelyn. I was a teenager and I can almost remember the story like yesterday, so it left a huge impression on me. My mom smelled something suspicious, and my brother being in proximity was asked, “Did you poop your pants?”

“No!”

My mom moved closer to him and inspected.

“That’s not mine,” he proclaimed. “Someone else did that and put it there!”

Sin.

It’s ugly. It can be a blame-game. It is foul.

Our sweet granddaughter is almost 2. No one has pulled her aside and taught her to lie. She is preparing for the potty-training stage of life.

One morning, a smell. Our daughter said, “Inez did you poop?”

“No! Wray (pointing to Sissy).”

So, 4-month-old Wray’s diaper got inspected — nothing.

“Inez, did you toot?”

No answer. Inspection time.

Poop. Her first lie!

Sin.

It’s deceiving. It’s messy. It’s so human.

I remember a sermon once for a baby dedication. The pastor informed us, the audience, that as we looked at this sweet, innocent, seemingly perfect baby that we were all being deceived. We are born into sin. We are not nice people by nature because of that. The child in front of us was not as innocent and sweet as our eyes perceived.

“Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” — Psalm 51:5, NIV

So what do we do with this sin in our lives? We confess.

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. —Psalm 51: 7-12.

Nothing is too nasty for Jesus. Confess and walk in freedom.

Robin (Beckman) Gudal is intentional in life, a wife, a momma, a nana, a friend and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus