I Did It When You Weren't Looking

I do have a part 2 to the Niagara story (Notice Niagara is spelled correctly today. Thanks Linda. I didn't realize I had originally spelled it very similar to another word I won't mention that starts with a V. I hope it wasn't a Freudian slip LOL). I will share part 2 tomorrow. I'm waiting to get some pictures we took with the waterproof camera back before I post.


In the meantime, I want to tell you about a conversation with Mary Lyndsey this morning.


Miss Priss pranced to the top of the stairs and yelled for me to come look at her. I was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect. You never know. I wasn't sure if she had gotten into my makeup, cut her hair or Lord only knows what.


Thankfully, she had only dressed up and wanted me to see the fruits of her labor. She had on a Happy Birthday crown, about a hundred pairs of colorful beads, two different high heel shoes, a Tinkerbell satin gown with a cape, and slappy bracelets (one cheetah print and the other pink and green shag). A sight to see I tell ya.


She began to describe each thing she had on and why she was wearing it. Then she asked if I knew where she had gotten all of these items from. She had gotten them from her treasure box - where she hides all of the stuff she doesn't want anyone to find.


Hmmm... interesting.


"What other things do you have in there you don't want anyone to find Mary Lyndsey?"


"I have those dental floss sticks so I can floss my teeth when you aren't looking. You said you didn't want me to do it without your help but I hid them, and I did it anyway when you weren't looking."


Would someone please tell me how I am supposed to respond to this?!


I really wanted to laugh because the scene that came to mind first was from the movie Pretty Woman. You know the one where Julia Roberts is flossing her teeth, and she hides the dental floss behind her back because she doesn't want Richard Gere to see what she's doing.


Then I was glad she even wants to floss her teeth in the first place. My kids love to brush their teeth, but flossing has been quite a battle. They don't like for me to do it, and they can't quite do it themselves yet. So, I bought some of those fluorescent floss sticks to try to help them. I'm still afraid they will do it too hard though and cut their gums, so I told them they can't do it by themselves.


Then the reality set in. Apparently the lure of doing something I told her not to do was just too much for Mary Lyndsey. She did something I told her not to - when I wasn't looking. And she hid it from me.


Part of me wants to punish her, but I'm not sure she would completely understand. She thinks she did something good... flossing her teeth. I did talk to her about the fact she should never hide anything from me. And she should always obey Mommy. I explained to her even if I'm not looking, God always sees.


Isn't that our human sin nature. We all think we can get away with things. We think we can hide the stuff we don't want anyone to find out about. We can do things when others aren't looking and it won't matter. Sometimes we even think those things are "good things." But God is always looking. He always sees. There is no place we can go to hide "our stuff" from Him.


Thankfully, when we do finally tell him about whatever it is we thought we were hiding, He is always ready and willing to forgive.


Psalm 139:7-9
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.


1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.