My eyes bucked in disbelief.
What did I just see?
I pressed the 'watch again' button on my phone so the Instagram video would rewind. I wanted to be sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.
Have you ever been in this situation? Mindlessly scrolling through social media, you come across something shocking or so revealing that you need to re-read or in my case, rewind a video to watch again?
After watching the video again, and confirming that - yep, what I saw was accurate, I turned my phone over -my way of turning my phone off, while not really doing it - and contemplated the 15-second Instagram video.
In the video, one of my new, favorite, millennial tv Pastors is on the toilet as his daughter plays with her toys at his feet.
Yes, he is on the toilet!
No worries, you can't see his business or anything like that. You simply see his pants at his ankles and his beautiful, young daughter with toys scattered at his feet. They were obviously in conversation when the millennial Pastor's wife, entered the bathroom to record the two.
In the video, the wife asks the daughter doesn't she want to leave the bathroom while dad is on the toilet? The wife/mom asks her daughter, isn't it stinky in here? Why would she want to sit with daddy in the bathroom as he takes care of business? Instead of answering, the daughter who is about two years old just laughs and continues playing with her toys and continues in conversation with her dad. It is obvious, that despite the location, and her dad's peculiar position, she is comfortable, content, and enjoys being near her father.
The video ends.
Now, I know you might be thinking, why in the world would the family post this video on social media? And while there were many "awww....that is so cute" comments on their social media page there were others that talked about the lack of appropriateness.
After clutching my proverbial pearls from watching the video, I thought about the image.
Although I grew up with my father in the home, our relationship was not one where I sat at his feet and played with my toys (inside or outside the bathroom). So you can imagine, I never felt comfortable as a young girl engaging in conversation with him while he was on the toilet. In fact, whenever I saw him headed to the bathroom with his newspaper and cigarette, I usually went to the opposite part of the house, because my nostrils knew what was to come.
Watching the video of my new favorite, millennial tv Pastor and his daughter made me long for that kind of intimacy with my father. Whether or not you think it was appropriate to share on social media, it was apparent that the father and daughter had trust, safety, and friendship in their relationship. That girl loved her father and enjoyed spending time with him, that she disregarded the....ahem, smell. She had her toys, and she had her father and felt comfortable being next to him regardless of his position on the toilet.
I really believe this is how God wants us to be.
He wants us to want to be Him, regardless of the circumstances, the smells, the convenience, or difficulties. God wants us to sit at his feet. To talk to him, engage in conversation with him, sing silly songs with him, and be totally at ease with Him.
My new, favorite, millennial tv Pastor sat on a 'toilet throne', but God sits on a Heavenly throne and as His daughters, there is no barrier or partition that prevents us from having access to Him.
But are we willing to endure the smell?
Are we willing to spend time with God when life stinks?
When the circumstances and our situations are poor?
When life makes us sad, and not happy?
My favorite, millennial Pastor's daughter enjoyed herself at her father's feet, despite the funk. She has such a great relationship with her dad, that she understands the importance and value of being close to him regardless of the temporary unpleasantness.
I don't know about you, but when life gets hard, and I find myself frustrated, it's not the easiest for me to sit at the feet of God, and enjoy Him. I want to bolt. I want to get out of the mess, I want my nostrils to clear up, and I want the air of my life to be sweet.
But this little girl taught me something. She taught me how I can spend time with my Heavenly Father. How He sits on a throne, and how I can never bother Him. How He is always open and accessible to me. She also taught me the value of sitting, resting, and enjoying myself at the feet of the Father --- when life is stinky and when life is sweet.
This article was published in Jewel Warrior, a Christian women's online devotional. Please subscribe to receive encouraging devotionals each day from women from around the world.
Hi, my name is Kacie Starr Long. I am an author, speaker and I love to use my voice to point people to Jesus. When I'm not writing, I'm either working out at Orange Theory Fitness or sewing. God delivered me from food addiction and I have a sewing ministry for women who have been previously incarcerated and at-risk teens. I am the proud wife to Alfred T. Long, Sr and together we lead a non-profit that serves prisoners and their families. Connect with me at www.InspiredOverflow.com and via my YouTube page for more daily Christian teachings and encouragement.