Pooping in the Corner

My three-year-old doesn't like me looking at him while he is pooping in his diaper. I know he's doing it because he gets a certain look and stands very still in some removed location.

"Are you pooping?" I'll ask.

He'll put up his hand at me and say, "No! Don't yook a' me, Mommy!"

So I ignore him until he's done. Then he runs up to me and does a little 180 jump so his back end is facing me. "Poopoos!" he'll announce. I peek in his pants to confirm this and then go change him. 

Obviously, we're working towards him running to me and telling me prior to pooping in his pants. Then we can go to the bathroom and take care of business there. That's the goal, but we're not there yet. He doesn't recognize the initial urge in him yet and he hasn't worked up the courage to tell me about the need before it's too late.

And if that isn't a spiritual analogy for what God wants us to do when we feel an urge to soil ourselves with sin, I don't know what is!

It's also a good reminder that we don't have to stare at people while they sin and make expostulations of disgust. Sin is something people want to do in secret. And while God wants every dark place in people exposed, it's not our job to convict or transform people. That's God's job.

We can say, "The restroom is over there. In fact, I'm going to go use it myself. I hope to see you there."

. . . which I realize is weird when talking about poop but really is quite comforting when talking about going into God's healing and cleansing presence.