I have another story to share that would probably only happen to me! I am not real “swift” when it comes to kids in diapers.

No, I did not fall for the “put your finger in the diaper” trick again. I learned my lesson! I am not retaking that test!

Since I have shared my Caleb stories with you on my Bonus Blog this week, I wanted to share this one with you, too!

SO MY CHURCH (BRAT) STORY begins:

I work at our church in Jesse, WV, Christ Community Church (this is also where the Appalachia Prayer Center is). People regularly stop by the office for various things; food, to use the facilities on their way somewhere, and of course, prayer. It is nothing unusual to regularly have people to stop in for us to pray with/for them.

This one particular day at the office, Jay and Lisa had to go to the school for Maria’s awards ceremony. Caleb wanted to stay with me. Of course, I was thrilled he wanted to stay and play with Aunt Wendy! So, I said, “Yes! Let him stay!”

What I didn’t take into consideration was Caleb was still in diapers. When Lisa was leaving, she handed me the diaper bag (wait….what???? Why would I need that?), and she said something like, “If he needs a diaper change, everything is in here (pointing to the diaper bag).”

My heart started racing a little, but then I thought about it. They shouldn’t be gone too long, right? I mean the school is 5 minutes away. Ok, I got this. I will just tell him that he can’t use the bathroom in his diaper while they were gone. It should be an easy request…but was it????

After they left, I told Caleb that he should wait until his mommy comes back to potty in his diaper. He happily said, “Ok!” as he ran off to play. Well, that was settled……or was it?

My desk was arranged, at that time, where I could get in and out of the closet easily. I had been doing a ton of cleaning out and rearranging the closet. There was a space that was cleaned out, and I hadn’t moved things back in yet, so it was a good place to let Caleb play.

He had plenty of room, he couldn’t get by me without me knowing, he was away from people that would come in and out, and last, but not least, he loved playing in there. His imagination has always been so vivid and creative!

He reminded me of the kids opening up the wardrobe into Narnia! His imagination was (and still is) endless! He would step into the closet and get lost for 30-45 minutes at a time. I would peek in to check on him. He was in his own world every time.

So, that was a win-win for us…..or was it?

The morning went great. He played in the closet, coming in and out as he wanted to get his toys. He was happy to be playing there, and it was convenient for both of us!

As the morning went on, I would ask him, ” Did you do anything in your diaper?” He was so stinkin’ cute, and he would smile and say, “No, I’m good.”

“Well,” I thought, “the only thing you have to do is ask them to “hold it” until the parents get back.” This was a piece of cake! I was pretty proud of myself. If only everyone knew the secret to keep a toddler from using the bathroom in their diaper. You just tell them to wait!

As I was diligently working and Caleb was playing, there were 2 people who came into the office for prayer. There was a dire situation they were getting ready to deal with, and they needed guidance and courage to do what they needed to do. So, they asked me to pray with them. I was more than happy to pray with them!

As we were talking, I smelled something — it was awful! I knew that smell! It smelled like “poo.” I thought, “Oh my, maybe they have stepped in some doggie doo, and it is on one of their shoes.”

The smell got worse and worse. I thought, “Surely they can smell themselves. They need to check their shoes.” They continued to talk a little more. I was trying so hard to listen intently. I honestly couldn’t take my mind off that awful smell!

I want to pray with them as quickly as I could (I know how awful that sounds! My prayer was sincere and not just a quick “bless ’em, Lord!”). I needed to spray the room and sanitize the floor where the poo was. After all, Caleb played on that floor, and I would have to take care of it ASAP!

By the time I prayed with them, and they left, I was gagging. If you know me at all, you know what a weak stomach I have for bad odors or something on a kid’s face that needs to be washed off! The smell lingered after they left. I was spraying Lysol, orange oil room disinfectant (this was way before Covid and I had an arsenal of sanitizing, deodorizing, disinfecting agents. Nothing was working). I opened the door to let it air out and walked back to my desk. It was awful. They had been standing in front of my desk the whole time.

I was so into trying to get the odor out of my nostrils and room, and I totally forgot that Caleb was in the closet playing until I heard him playing with a toy car and making it go, “zoom-zoom.”

I am beside myself with this odor. Caleb came out, and I said, “Hey, Buddy, you may want to go back to the closet. Aunt Wendy is trying to get this smell out of the office.”

He smiled and turned to go back to play. He then turned to me and said, “Ok, Wendy, but you need to know I pooped!”

IT WAS HIM! IT WAS HIM THE WHOLE TIME! But we agreed he would wait for his mom!

Then the realization hit me. The people in my office never saw Caleb. If I thought it was them….and it wasn’t. I started laughing so hard because they had to have thought it was ME smelling so bad!

WHAT’S ON MY MIND?  GLAD YOU ASKED!

As I remembered this story, it made me think.

You know that Capital One commercial that Samuel L Jackson says, “What’s in your wallet?”

I want to ask you, “What’s in your closet!” (you have to read that in his voice to get the full effect!)

We go through life pretending we do not smell the odor of our sin. We pretend others cannot smell it, either. In reality, we ALL smell it.

You may be in front of people, and they smell the stench of your sin, but they do not know it is coming from you. You have put on a prideful facade. You have worn a mask for years – masking who you are and not letting anyone in so they can really see you to help you. You have covered the sin(s) up when people come to visit, and you hide it in the closet. But, the odor reeks, and it saturates the room.

You may have sin (or sins) hidden in your closet. You may think no one will ever know about your hidden sin, but then, eventually, they will notice the stink! The stench flows out into every room of your heart. You cannot control the stench because you have hidden these sins until they have rotted. Now they smell like “poo.”

How can you get rid of the odor, the smell that is gagging your very soul when you get a whiff of the stench? Be like Caleb, and just come clean. Say, “Ok, God, I pooped (sinned).” He knows already. He smells it even from where He is. All the deodorizing (going to church) and sanitizing (singing or even leading worship) will not eliminate the root of the problem.

SIDE NOTE: You do not need people around you pretending like they do not smell the sin. You need someone who will tell you that you stink and something needs to change!

But see, unlike me not wanting to change a diaper to get rid of the problem, God is there. He is waiting on you to help you to change. Change your way of thinking. Change your way of doing things. Change who you are and become more like Him.

How do you change? You have to confess your sin. God will change your diaper (your way of doing things) and throw it in the trash (sea of forgiveness). But you have to talk to Him. You have to show Him the closet you have stashed your sins in and, now they are rotting.

Come CLEAN to Jesus. He will wash you. He will cleanse you. He will put oil on you to heal your heart. He will make you new!

Psalms 139: 23 (ESV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

Psalm 51:10(ESV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

PRAY THIS WITH ME TODAY (in your own words)

Jesus,

Your Word tells me that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord. But You also said you would forgive us if we ask.

I no longer want to hide my sin. Jesus, bring it to light so that I can get it out of my heart. I feel like David when he said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Right now, in this moment, I want You to go through every closet of my heart, and make it clean. Let my heart have a sweet smell as You go through and open every door. We will clean the room together. I give You all my secrets, I give You all of my sins and I give You all of me.

Thank you, Jesus, for the blood applied!

Amen