No Lifeguard on Duty

Originally published on April 25, 2013

Most of you probably know that Shelby is not potty trained.  She is only 21 months old developmentally, so maybe you can picture what it would be like to get a less-than-2 year old trained – and expect no accidents.  Since she has not grown in developmental age since she was 6, this is one of our challenges.  She has made great strides in this area in the past year.  For this we are proud.  She can stay dry for long periods of time and go potty on a schedule, but it’s not perfect.  So we still occationally have to deal with some “issues” that come from a 12 year old having to sit in her own stuff.  We are dealing with those issues today.  She has a little rash and infection (what?  too much information?).  We went to the doctor this afteroon and one of the things she suggested was putting Shelby in a warm, shallow bath with baking soda.  So that’s just what we did.  

Shelby has a handicapped accessible shower with a chair to make it easier for us to bathe her, so it was a big treat for her to get in my big tub and splash around.  She had a ball!  We threw a few toys in and I’m sure it felt like old times for her.  When the water started to cool, we helped her out, administered medication (we will just leave it at that), and put on her monkey pj’s.  Then as she scampered off to play, I started dinner preparations while Chuck sat down to relax.  In about 15 minutes, we started to hear Shelby whine.  The whine quickly became a cry.  Chuck, Allie and I jumped and ran at the same time to my bathroom.  Where we found her back in the tub – in her pj’s  And she had managed to turn the water back on, HOT.  She sat there and played until the water got uncomfortable and finally burned her skin.  It now looks like the lower half of her body spent the day in the sun.  What was a good thing with supervision and the wise care of her mom and dad, because dangerous when left to her own devices.  Shelby sat helpless in scorching water, realizing that it hurt, but unable to get herself out.  And when we did get her out, she was shaking from the shock.  

I am reading through the chronogical Bible this year with my church (yes, it’s related).  Shelby’s actions tonight reminded me of an account of King David’s in a reading from last week.  In 2 Samuel 24, David decides to take a census of Israel.  The passage actually tells us that Satan rose up and incited David to do it.  David numbered his army.  Is this a sin?  Not in and of itself.  God had even commanded it on two prior occasions.  The problem lied in the fact that God was not in it.  Whatever David’s motives were, they were not God pleasing.  And when we strike out on our own, without God, results will inevitably be either disappointing or even disastrous.  In David’s case, it lead to the death of 70,000 men.  For Shelby, a bath was healthy and healing.  Until she decided to do it on her own; then it became dangerous and painful.  NOTHING is good without God in it.  Without His direction and guidance, we will evenually find ourselves in hot water.  

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”  Psalm 127:1