After 30 years of marriage, being a

HENS

(Home Executive Nurturing Specialist- aka  stay-at-home mom)

I have graduated to the supreme status of

GHENS–

(translated Grand Home Executive Nurturing Specialist- aka a stay at home mom and grandma)!  

 I can’t even measure the blessing of teaching and sharing Jesus and helping pass on the “spiritual baton” to Finley (5) and Cohen (2).  After 7 children, and now two grandchildren, I’m actually starting to get the hang of this. 🙂 But lest, you think I have it all together or have it easy peasy-

   And now- for your reading pleasure:  Here is Today’s Dramatic Comedy

Finley, Bethany and I decided to combine math (fractions and measuring) while making 2 big pans of brownies: one for our family and one for our new youth pastor and his family.  We had just finished and the girls began scraping the bowls to lick the scrumptious gooiness, when- suddenly- my “NANA INSTINCT” (even more honed than my “Mommy instinct”) kicked into high alert.

It was way too quiet!

Why didn’t I hear Cohen playing baseball on the Wii????? 

I quickly started down the stairs to the family room and there was my little buddy- STARK NAKED– looking rather startled.  He stood frozen to the spot, seeming unsure of what to do next.  Of course, being the relaxed, go with the flow Nana, I burst out laughing and said, “Cohen, what are you doing?”

 He looked up at me startled and with a tremulous smile said, “Nana- is dis funny?”

 My answer stopped in my throat when my eyes adjusted to the light –

I suddenly saw that he was not just naked,

but he had stepped out of a very poopy, icky, diaper–

AND it had gotten smeared all over his body, legs, and feet. 

“No”– I said keeping my voice calm- “No, it’s not really funny.”

With one lonely little tear, trickling down his cheek, he said,

“Well, den, can you clean dis all up pease?”

I sprang into action.  Yes, sir!  I cleaned that little man, the carpet, and his pjs he had stripped off. I told him the whole time I was cleaning, “Don’t take off your diaper again.  Come and get Nana when you need help.”

So you’re probably thinking- Cindy- that’s gross!  What does this have to do with surprising treasures?  What kind of lesson is hidden here? 

Maybe I’m stretching the analogy too far, LOL, but the more I thought about it, the more I could relate to Cohen.  Every once in a while I’ve “stepped out into a real mess of my own making.”  I freeze; puzzled and bemused by what’s just happened, wondering how I should procede.  The surprising treasure is, that even though I sometimes make my own messes, I can look to my Heavenly Nurturing Specialist to help get me out my mess and clean me up.  He doesn’t turn His back on me or yell at me.  He patiently gives me a fresh, “clean”, start- with the warning and admonition not to do that again.

Surprising Treasure: Learn from your past messes and ask your Heavenly Nurturing Specialist for directions and help.