Last weekend and early this week, we were all down with colds. The older kids, of course, just like my hubby and I, can take care of their own noses. But since the little guy hasn’t figured out how to blow his own nose just yet, every morning we had a new routine.
Just like normal, I’d get him up.
Sing him a song.
Change his diaper.
Get him a drink.
Except on these mornings I would also grab out the nose frienda and a bottle of saline nose spray.
I’d take a warm, soft baby washcloth and wipe the crusties out his eyes. He didn’t mind that so much. I’m sure it felt pretty good.
But then came the part he hates.
And the part that I GET that he hates,
and hate that he hates,
but I have to do it anyway
because it’s important
to get all that gunk and snot out,
so he can breathe deeply again
and feel better.
And because did you know that if you let all that snot sit, it can cause a secondary sinus infection?
And of course I don’t want that for my kid.
So the first two mornings he pitched a fit,
kicking and screaming,
but we still got it done.
By morning 3, he fussed a bit but willingly let me do it. {I think he remembered that bonus snuggles come after nose sucking.}
And by the next day, he knew what was coming and didn’t bother protesting.
“Mommy’s helping you” I reminded him.
“Okayyyy Mommy,” he echoed back.
And afterwards, “Thank you for cleaning me.”
{He’s so sweet that one, he always thanks me for cleaning him, like every time I change his diaper too. It’s adorable.}
God speaks to me so much through my mothering experiences, and every morning as this would happen, I felt in my heart that this is what it’s like to sit with the Father- when we are “sick”. Meaning-when there’s something icky in us that he has to help us address.
He doesn’t bother to ask if it was our fault or not,
{Did you insist on going outside in the cold without your hat on??}
He doesn’t tell us to take care of it ourselves.
Even if we are old enough and know how to “blow our nose” spiritually speaking. The truth is we are all spiritual infants compared to Him, and we could never adequately get all the “snot” out without His help.
He isn’t harsh or unloving about it.
He simply pulls us onto His lap.
Gets us into His presence.
Gets out his spiritual “snot sucking kit”-
which is the Bible –
and lets it do its work on us,
exposing and clearing out all the junk in our hearts.
Fear.
Envy.
Pride.
Anger.
Whatever it is.
Keeping it from settling and causing secondary spiritual infections.
Helping us heal faster so we have less of a chance of spreading it to others.
And if we trust He is a good Father,
we let Him do this in us.
Is it pleasant? No.
I much prefer our regular “snuggle time” where I cuddle up with a coffee and my Bible and everything is good and I feel like I’m reading a love letter from my Heavenly Dad.
But sometimes it’s not like that,
though the snuggles always follow if we stay for them.
Sometimes it “sucks”.
Have you ever used a nose Frieda on your kid?
It’s really icky.
Super effective, but looks gross.
Nothing gets in your mouth,
but the snot chamber is clear and you can see everything that’s coming out.
It’s how you know when you’re done.
🤢
And toddlers really don’t like seeing that.
Or feeling the suction.
It’s definitely not their favorite,
but they do like deeply breathing when you’re done!
Sometimes reading the Bible when we have that “snot” in us sucks.
The Spirit reveals.
Highlights things you need to let God work on.
It brings everything out.
And we don’t like seeing that!
We don’t like feeling that “suction.”
But we can learn to love the next part-
the breathing deeply that follows!
{Is it a coincidence that the “nose Frieda” He used to illustrate this for me sounds like FREEDOM? I think not.}
Also, the snuggle time with our Savior after, that follows, is simply the BEST.
And it’s loving that,
that helps us tolerate what needs to be done in us.
Keeps us coming back to be cared for.
When we feel good about it,
and even when we don’t.
Everything He does in us and reveals to us is for our good. And He takes the time to do it because He loves us. Because He’s our Father. ❤️
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“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
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