Imperfections are never a reason to hide ourselves

Sunday mornings in our home are bustling as everyone gets ready for church. Eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth and hair, and trying to find matching socks is most definitely tricky in our house. Doing it all within a halfhour period is extraordinary.

But doing it all without anyone shedding a tear or getting angry would be a miracle we’re still praying for.

Deep Roots

By Whitney Nesse

One particular Sunday morning, I was giving instructions to my younger children, attempting to get them all up to tempo so that we could leave on time — while attempting to brush my teeth. Once I finished waving my toothbrush around like an insane maestro and returned to the bathroom, I could see my youngest child hiding in the shower.

I asked him to come out and finish getting ready for church. From his reflection in the mirror, I could tell he was acting rather sheepish. I asked him what was wrong and immediately his chin began to quiver, and he became weepy — yet he insisted that he was fine. Again, I asked him what was the matter. He responded by trying to hide deeper within the shower.

I sat on the bench in my bathroom, positioned so I could look at my son. He moved toward me with his hands covering his face and told me he had an accident. I wrapped him in a hug, reassuring him I was not angry. I helped him get cleaned up, and we happily continued our day.

Later on, I contemplated the earlier incident and became sad. I felt sad that my son thought he had to hide. Indeed, he was embarrassed, but what caused him to hide? Was he afraid of how I might react?

My thoughts then turned to a Bible passage I