PIGS, PUDDLES, AND PRESCHOOL WISDOM

     As the father of three adult children who will all be married within a 9-month span, I am (and have been) in something of a reflective mood recently. While I haven’t pulled out old photo albums just yet, I occasionally recall certain events, incidents, accidents, and humor surrounding my kids when they were younger. As I share some of these historical tidbits with you, my hope is that you will not only indulge this dad in his reflections, but that you also will receive some insights that will encourage you in your daily living. With that said, here goes…              

     Following an after-supper bike ride and walk in our neighborhood, my 5-year old son walked into the house and announced, “I’ll be clean as a pig in two minutes.” Because bath time was approaching, I knew that the first part of his statement indicated that he was on his way to the bathtub. The comparative portion of his declaration concerned me however, because I was sure that his mother would want the exercise of bathing to leave him cleaner than a pig. I quizzed my son about his statement by asking, “Drew, why do you want to be as clean as a pig? I thought pigs were dirty.” Without hesitation he responded, “I’ll be as clean as a pig before it gets into the mud puddle.”

     Although mud puddles can be quite enjoyable, they also contribute to filth, grit, and grime. I suppose that my son was suggesting that a pig would only become dirty by entering and wallowing in available mud puddles. The psalmist stated, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers.” Perhaps a cotton-patch paraphrase would read like this: “Happy are those who avoid the inviting, yet sin-filled, mud puddles of life.”               

     Mud-filled activities and acquaintances may be enjoyable at first but they contribute to unhappiness, guilt, and a lack of fulfillment. Sin promises so much but delivers so little. Maybe we should all try a little harder to “be clean as a pig before it gets into the mud puddle.”

                                                                                                                                               Daniel