I find that in my weakest moments I am most vulnerable to temptations and lies. Like when I’m overly tired, or hangry or pushed to the brink of personal stress overload. It seems like we have all had more than our fair share of that in 2020, doesn’t it? Let me tell you about the day I had poop on my shoe and the devil in my ear. In other words, the toothpaste and dog poop story. Yes, those two things CAN exist in the same sentence. They just did.
(BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!)
So, there I was. My morning started out like any other day. I was busy managing the household, making sure all the cogs and wheels were turning relatively squeak-free. Allan was in COVID isolation, the toddler was into EVERYTHING, and we had no real food in the house. Except a half a box of Cheezit crackers, some dry spaghetti noodles and various condiments. No worries, friends. I had placed a large grocery order the day before and had just returned home with a van full of (mostly) nutritious deliciousness.
The grocery wipe down dance.
It is important at this point in our story for you to know that because of coronavirus hoopla, we have been wiping down groceries before they come into the house. Feel free to debate that in the comments, if you must. It’s our reality right now, along with increased hand washing, masks in public and social distancing. We aren’t playing around. I always say, “Trust God, and still use the good brain He gave you.”
At any rate, we had performed the grocery store wipe down dance so many times by this point, Colin and I knew the choreography like seasoned Broadway veterans. I wiped off each item as it came out of our van, and placed it inside the door for Colin to pick up and put away in our pantry, refrigerator, freezer, etc. By the time I was done wiping off “germs”, Colin had the entire load stocked and shelved. Agile. Precise. Organized. Just the way I like things to be.
By the way, in case you ever are called to make the decision on my behalf, Colin is my #1 choice for who to take with me onto a deserted island. Luke is too little to be of any real assistance. Allan is a health liability. And Hannah would most likely kill me in my sleep so our rations lasted longer. (“Survivor – Holderby Family Edition.” Are you reading this, Jeff Probst and CBS?)
Misstep #1
The only items that don’t get put away by my grocery ballet partner are things that need to go to our upstairs bathrooms. For example, shampoo or body wash. I set those inside the door to the left and deal with those afterward. And THAT, my friends, is where the first misstep in our story happens. And “misstep” is exactly the right word.
You see, I wasn’t paying close attention when I came through the door to wash my own hands. No, I was too preoccupied with my “to do list”. As a result, I didn’t notice the brand new tube of toothpaste still laying on the hall floor. I stepped on that sucker square in its middle with my right shoe and burst the tube of minty goo all over the place.
Ugh! Not only had I just lost a full tube of toothpaste in my rush, but now the grooves of my right shoe were covered in cool mint stickiness. In fact, I found it not just irritating. I found it a tad bit gross as well. So I grabbed the canister of wipes, sat on the bottom step, and angrily worked every groove of my shoe clean again. I may not have been agile, but at least I felt precise and organized again.
Misstep #2
I stood up from the bottom step, huffed off to the bathroom to wash my hands, and THAT is when my second misstep happened. Quite literally. You see, I wasn’t paying close attention when I came through the bathroom door. No, I was too preoccupied with the previous inconvenience that caused a speed bump in my “to do list”. And once again, as a result, I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings. In other words, I didn’t notice the hefty pile of fresh dog turds recently deposited by “man’s best friend” in the middle of our bathroom floor. I stepped on that sucker square in its middle with…. Yep, the same right shoe!
Suddenly I was more than irritated. And I was certainly more than a tad bit grossed out. And my right shoe no longer smelled minty like toothpaste, or lemony like disinfecting wipes. No, now my shoe smelled like poop. Australian shepherd – schnauzer poop to be exact. In my haste to get the groceries inside and check off that box on my “to do” list, I hadn’t immediately noticed our dog whining at the back door to go outside. She got the last laugh, though, didn’t she?
The enemy takes advantage
At that point my emotions spilled over and I felt the frustration swell into anger. And in that moment, our enemy took advantage of my weakness. Suddenly I had dog poop on my shoe the the devil whispering in my ear.
“You are a mess.”
“It’s not just your shoe that is gross. It’s all of you.”
“Fat. Ugly. Disgusting.”
“You are full of shit. Inside and out.”
“Every other woman on the planet has her act together. It’s not rocket science, Melissa.”
“You are alone in your glaring inadequacy as a human being.”
ALONE. UTTERLY ALONE.
Satan is a liar.
Now, I’ve been down this road before. Maybe not with literal poop on my shoe, but certainly with the devil in my ear. As a result, I know the devil is a crafty liar. An attractive deceiver. An opportunistic con-artist. And I am PISSED that he is lying to you, too.
“He… has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NIV)
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherSISTERhood throughout the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV)
How pissed am I? Pissed enough to fight back with the resources God has given me. Not only has God given me the ability to write and the blessing of my own blog. He has also put some pretty amazing women in my life. And the thankful bee is bringing some of them straight to you.
BIG announcement
October is hereby QUEEN BEE MONTH at the thankful bee. What does that mean for you? It means that each weekend in October we will hear from a different Queen Bee. A fellow traveler on this planet with a struggle to share and a story to tell.
Because, dear friends, we are NOT alone. We are NOT “the only one”. And we are NOT defined by the proverbial poop on our shoe or whatever the devil is whispering in our ear.
So, plan to join us next weekend to kick off our first ever Queen Bee month. You will be inspired!
If you have not already officially subscribed to the thankful bee, do it today. Then you will get a simple email from us when new content publishes to the blog. There is a space to subscribe to the blog with your email right below this post. And we promise never to share your email address or try to sell you anything. Do not miss this special month of unique opportunity!
Until next week, be encouraged!
xoxo, Melissa
