Sunday, August 31, 2014

underwear and other issues


like it or not, somedays just start with your panties falling down.

we were walking in the doors of the school (only the tiniest bit late) when she grabbed my arm and said, "uh-oh, mama, my undies are falling down."


my little girl in her little dress.
knee socks high and knickers creeping low.
my first grader continued on, "um, mom ... i think i'm going to need some help here."

"some help here" required me (after a quick upward tug of her undies) jumping back in the car. heading home. retrieving a "new pair." texting her teacher about the issue (while fully and safely stopped at a stop light) and racing back to school for the great switch-a-roo.

i know ... you are still stuck on the "panties falling down" thing.
me too.
i mean, like who has this problem? i had a pair of jeans be too loose -- once. when i was 7 -- but i'm pretty sure i've never had a problem with baggy undergarments.

perhaps i'm being too personal.

i apologize.

but it kinda made me stop and think.

it made me think about the blessing it is to have someone in whom to confide; 
to have someone to share with the really personal stuff.
i mean, you can't just tell any old person about your underwear issues, right?
there's some protocol required.
some need for discernment.
some awareness of what's appropriate.

let's face it, boundaries are kind of important when it comes to sharing certain things.

but if that was me (and be assured, it won't EVER be me) who would i tell?

there is something to be said for having someone to talk to ... about any thing. about every thing. even the most personal. the most embarrassing. the most awful.
even the stuff way more awkward than our underwear.

but that's exactly who Jesus wants to be --- that someone.

that someone who can hear and handle absolutely everything. anything. all things. yes, even our underwear issues.

what would i do if i didn't have Jesus to talk to? 
to vent to?
to cry to?
to cling to?

seriously, what would life look like?
i can't imagine.

psalm 62 tells us to, "pour out our hearts to God ..."  i think that means to let loose; to hold back nothing. to share the whole kit and caboodle. i suppose we can't (and really shouldn't) have that same freedom with the people shopping for shoes at target (that happened to me once -- while picking out sandals for bella, a stranger began to pour out her life's story to me -- my kids say i invite this kind of over-communication with strangers. that's another blog post).
no, we can't pour out everything like that with everyone, but we can pour out like that with God.

because as bella said, "um ... i'm going to need a little help here."

and she's right.

we all have our awkward issues.
loose undies or loose screws or what-not, we've all got our stuff. and sometimes we just need someone to tell.

it's not just a kid thing, it's a parent thing ... a people thing.

God created us and cares.
God redeemed us and rescues.
God sent His son and saves.

it's what He does, what He's doing, and what He has already done.

this was excitement over the first day of school a few weeks ago ... not an underwear issue!


3 comments:

John G. said...

Those moments make us all human. Stuff happens and we all have our moments. Thank you for sharing. Life is not perfect and sometimes things happen to remind us to have a sense of humor. So happy she had a good mama to her rescue.

Sammy said...

Beautiful post. It happened to my elderly Aunt while she was standing at the counter while getting her car repaired. She was skinny and a picky kind of woman. : - )

daniellem02 said...

she is just the cutest!