Every so often life becomes challenging. Quite challenging actually. Often it happens in a moments notice.  That’s when I count my blessings. That’s when I’m most grateful. Sounds strange doesn’t it?  It’s probably a coping mechanism of some sort. But, for me, it works.

Tonight, Josiah needed a bath. I guess it had been too long in between bathroom breaks. His jeans had sprung a wet spot. Apparently, they began to absorb what his pull-up no longer could. As soon as I noticed, I whisked the boy into the bathroom. While he sat, I filled the large tub in our master bathroom with warm water. It takes quite a while for the tub to fill. So, Josiah sat for a while, waiting.

Eventually, he happily hopped into the tub. Josiah loves taking baths. It’s one of the few activities he thoroughly enjoys. There is something about him and water. He adores being in water.  Almost immediately after immersing himself in the water, he began to pee. I just smiled. I’m sure he does that often. Never mind he just had plenty of time to pee in the toilet. He saved what was left after soaking his jeans, for the bathtub.

He played joyfully while I rushed away for a few minutes to start dinner in the kitchen. I knew he’d be fine. He’s old enough and big enough to be able to be alone in the tub for a few minutes. I came back to check on him and realized dinner would have to wait. Josiah had gone to the bathroom again in the tub. It was quite obvious. Let’s just say it necessitated immediate attention.

I quickly pulled Josiah from the tub and wrapped him in a towel. I drained the water and started counting my blessings. If I remember, they went something like this:

I am grateful Josiah is not constipated.
I am grateful a toilet is very near the tub.
I am grateful for a flushing commode.
I am grateful for Febreeze.
I am grateful for disinfectant cleaning spray and paper towels.

I am grateful Josiah is content to sit near by and not run off.
I am grateful dinner never made it to the oven, so it is not burning.
I am grateful the other kids are oblivious to what has just happened.
I am grateful Rick is not home yet and doesn’t have to deal with this.

I am VERY, VERY grateful for soap and warm water.
I am grateful for music and earphones and being able to listen to the same Praise music over and over and over again while I clean up the mess.
I am grateful cleaning the tub is so quick and easy.

I am grateful we have enough warm water to fill the tub a second time.
I am grateful Josiah is so happy to jump back into the tub once again.
I am grateful for body wash and a scrubby.
I am grateful for shampoo.
I am grateful Rick got Josiah’s hair cut really, really short this weekend.

I am grateful Josiah does not mind a head to toe, intense scrubbing.
I am grateful I have Josiah in my life.

I can’t be sure, but I think I heard a soft gentle, inaudible voice, in my head. It said, Thank you for being the hands of Jesus. Thank you for caring for one of my precious children who is unable to care for himself. Thank you for praising me through your struggles.

And then I remembered. Someone recently told me a very important message. He said it 3 times. I suppose it was so I wouldn’t forget. He said, “Sandy, praise is your weapon. Praise is your weapon”. And even more emphatically the last time, “PRAISE is your weapon”.

So, with the lyrics to Hold On by 33 miles blasting through my earphones, Josiah was bathed a second time.

Now, after scrubbing myself as if prepping for surgery, I am off to finish dinner.