Those of you that have yet to be introduced to a wet wipe's usefulness and versatility, let me enlighten you.
I first realized what I'd been missing out on after I had my first son. Now, I know--wet wipes are good for almost anything...like...
Dirty diapers (of course).
Wiping little hands and mouths after meals.
Cleaning up smeared baby food...from the baby's arms and face and eyebrows and neck and hair and ears and toes (yes, toes).
Cleaning up splattered baby food...from your shirt, your hair, the floor, the wall. Your toes.
Dabbing at spit-up on the carpet while you make another mental note that you really really need to get the carpets properly cleaned...sometime.
As a last-minute substitution for hand washing when you finally get everyone sitting down at the table and you realize that your little boy's hands are filthy.
As a quick sort-of bath when you decide that getting the littles to bed soon is more important than getting them to bed squeaky clean.
Quickly swiping a dirty surface to tide you over until you have time to properly mop...or clean the bathroom...or dust...etc.
Wiping down the restaurant table before you use the surface as a high chair tray for your toddler's finger food. Oh, and for good measure, to wipe off the restaurant high chair or booster seat, too. Makes you feel better somehow.
Nearly any mess you can think of, wet wipes can handle. Except for runny noses. Tissues work better. Otherwise, things are just a little too...slimy. Sorry. I'm digressing. There is a good point in all of this. I promise.
Like I said, wet wipes are good for almost anything. In fact, I'm heading off to Kenya on a short-term medical mission trip in a couple of weeks, and guess what's at the top of my list. Yep. Wet wipes.
Nothing highlights how great wet wipes are until you find yourself without them.
Last Saturday, we went shopping with the kids in a downtown area. My husband and I had been looking forward to it, as we hadn't been to the area in a while. (We forgot how much more difficult it is to shop with two toddlers...but we still managed to get what we needed!) We stopped for lunch, and halfway through the meal, I realized I'd forgotten the wet wipes at home. I fought the panic welling up and told myself, no big deal...we'll figure out something, right? But then our problem was complicated by the fact that the waitress had only given us three napkins between the four of us, and when the time came to wipe up macaroni-and-cheese leftovers from two faces and four hands, she was nowhere to be found. But we made it through (a trip to the bathroom to gather a few of those brown paper towels helped). So we finished up our lunch and, a little stickier than ideal, headed back to shopping.
A couple blocks and a few stores later, Moses graced us with a strong smell wafting up from his pants. The panic was greater this time. We headed to a little specialty children's store where I asked the clerk if they had any wet wipes. She said, no, they didn't, but they had something else. Can't remember what she called them, but they looked just like wet wipes and, I'm sure, would have worked just as well. Thankfully, though, I stopped to ask her what the little package cost...and she answered, almost apologetically, that the wipes were $11.49. "I think I'll manage," I said with a smile, and headed to the bathroom, where I pulled the last two paper towels off the roll, moistened them at the sink, and completed the task.
Then, a while later, when we were loading the kids back into the car, I happened to look in the back seat...where I spotted a brand-new package of wet wipes sitting there. As if it were mocking me.
If only I'd had those wet wipes when I needed them!
Because, like I said earlier, wet wipes are great for cleaning up almost any mess life can dish out.
Wet wipes are a lot like love.
I've spent quite a few words praising the value of wet wipes. Open the pages of Scripture, and you'll find many more words, verse after verse, praising the value of love.
Words like...
"But above all these put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfection." (Col. 3:14)
"And above all things have fervent LOVE for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'" (I Pet. 4:8)
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another." (John 13:35)
"The greatest of these is LOVE." (I Cor. 13:13)
In fact, after the greatest commandment to love God, the second most important commandment is listed as "'You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment than these." (Mark 12:31)
And on and on.
One of the most beautiful passages of Scripture describing and exalting love is I Corinthians 13. After addressing several spiritual gifts in chapter 12, Paul stops to emphasize that the best of gifts are nothing and less than nothing if not accompanied by genuine love. Eloquent speaking, gifted writing; deep knowledge of the mysteries of Scripture; miracle-working and powerful faith; the sacrifice of every last worldly possession; dying a martyr's death, and not just at the hand of the swift executioner's axe, but by the slow, unimaginable agony of the fire's flames...all this is empty, worthless, even repulsive to God, if they are void of love.
We come across a lot of messes in our lifetimes. Hurt feelings (given or received); cutting words; thoughtless actions...and their ripple effects and the ripple effects of those ripple effects. Mess upon mess upon mess. You and I often face these messes and don't even know where to start; cleaning up seems like a confusing and daunting task.
When in doubt...try love.
That's not to say we should smile and turn a blind eye to sin. But we should deal with messes (ours and others') with a gentle spirit, genuinely desiring the very best for those we love. Giving others the benefit of a doubt. Looking for ways to build them up for what has been done right to soften the blow of pointing out the wrong. Choosing words very carefully. Yes, sometimes things need to be communicated in no uncertain terms. But firmness can definitely be accompanied by love.
And, like wet wipes...nothing highlights the importance of love like when a situation is handled without it.
So when we're faced with messes, let's grab our trusty wet wipe...and LOVE.
Because...
"Love never fails." (I Corithians 13:13)
As a quick sort-of bath when you decide that getting the littles to bed soon is more important than getting them to bed squeaky clean.
Quickly swiping a dirty surface to tide you over until you have time to properly mop...or clean the bathroom...or dust...etc.
Wiping down the restaurant table before you use the surface as a high chair tray for your toddler's finger food. Oh, and for good measure, to wipe off the restaurant high chair or booster seat, too. Makes you feel better somehow.
Nearly any mess you can think of, wet wipes can handle. Except for runny noses. Tissues work better. Otherwise, things are just a little too...slimy. Sorry. I'm digressing. There is a good point in all of this. I promise.
Like I said, wet wipes are good for almost anything. In fact, I'm heading off to Kenya on a short-term medical mission trip in a couple of weeks, and guess what's at the top of my list. Yep. Wet wipes.
Nothing highlights how great wet wipes are until you find yourself without them.
Last Saturday, we went shopping with the kids in a downtown area. My husband and I had been looking forward to it, as we hadn't been to the area in a while. (We forgot how much more difficult it is to shop with two toddlers...but we still managed to get what we needed!) We stopped for lunch, and halfway through the meal, I realized I'd forgotten the wet wipes at home. I fought the panic welling up and told myself, no big deal...we'll figure out something, right? But then our problem was complicated by the fact that the waitress had only given us three napkins between the four of us, and when the time came to wipe up macaroni-and-cheese leftovers from two faces and four hands, she was nowhere to be found. But we made it through (a trip to the bathroom to gather a few of those brown paper towels helped). So we finished up our lunch and, a little stickier than ideal, headed back to shopping.
A couple blocks and a few stores later, Moses graced us with a strong smell wafting up from his pants. The panic was greater this time. We headed to a little specialty children's store where I asked the clerk if they had any wet wipes. She said, no, they didn't, but they had something else. Can't remember what she called them, but they looked just like wet wipes and, I'm sure, would have worked just as well. Thankfully, though, I stopped to ask her what the little package cost...and she answered, almost apologetically, that the wipes were $11.49. "I think I'll manage," I said with a smile, and headed to the bathroom, where I pulled the last two paper towels off the roll, moistened them at the sink, and completed the task.
Then, a while later, when we were loading the kids back into the car, I happened to look in the back seat...where I spotted a brand-new package of wet wipes sitting there. As if it were mocking me.
If only I'd had those wet wipes when I needed them!
Because, like I said earlier, wet wipes are great for cleaning up almost any mess life can dish out.
Wet wipes are a lot like love.
I've spent quite a few words praising the value of wet wipes. Open the pages of Scripture, and you'll find many more words, verse after verse, praising the value of love.
Words like...
"But above all these put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfection." (Col. 3:14)
"And above all things have fervent LOVE for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'" (I Pet. 4:8)
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another." (John 13:35)
"The greatest of these is LOVE." (I Cor. 13:13)
In fact, after the greatest commandment to love God, the second most important commandment is listed as "'You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment than these." (Mark 12:31)
And on and on.
One of the most beautiful passages of Scripture describing and exalting love is I Corinthians 13. After addressing several spiritual gifts in chapter 12, Paul stops to emphasize that the best of gifts are nothing and less than nothing if not accompanied by genuine love. Eloquent speaking, gifted writing; deep knowledge of the mysteries of Scripture; miracle-working and powerful faith; the sacrifice of every last worldly possession; dying a martyr's death, and not just at the hand of the swift executioner's axe, but by the slow, unimaginable agony of the fire's flames...all this is empty, worthless, even repulsive to God, if they are void of love.
We come across a lot of messes in our lifetimes. Hurt feelings (given or received); cutting words; thoughtless actions...and their ripple effects and the ripple effects of those ripple effects. Mess upon mess upon mess. You and I often face these messes and don't even know where to start; cleaning up seems like a confusing and daunting task.
When in doubt...try love.
That's not to say we should smile and turn a blind eye to sin. But we should deal with messes (ours and others') with a gentle spirit, genuinely desiring the very best for those we love. Giving others the benefit of a doubt. Looking for ways to build them up for what has been done right to soften the blow of pointing out the wrong. Choosing words very carefully. Yes, sometimes things need to be communicated in no uncertain terms. But firmness can definitely be accompanied by love.
And, like wet wipes...nothing highlights the importance of love like when a situation is handled without it.
So when we're faced with messes, let's grab our trusty wet wipe...and LOVE.
Because...
"Love never fails." (I Corithians 13:13)
Beautifully compared, Christina!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the very clear reminder, love you.
ReplyDelete