Day 67: a God Who Stoops

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

The single most embarrassing moment of my childhood—and it ranks up there as one of the most embarrassing moments of my life—took place in church. But before I confess it, I’d like to share two qualifications.

The first is that the church I began attending while I was still in utero and remained an upstanding member of until I graduated from college was a large, conservative Baptist assembly in Central Florida. Our worship services took place in a big pink stucco building that also hosted monthly meetings of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In short, it was a rather dignified place to meet on Sundays and Wednesday nights, where hymnals were used and hands were definitely not raised!

The second qualification is that my mom is a Southern belle. She’s gracious and appropriate and it was her great hope to pass those characteristics on to my sister, Theresa, and me. Which is why books on etiquette were required reading when I was growing up and why we spent many an afternoon walking down the hallway in our house toward a large mirror with those same thick books balanced on our heads to improve our posture. Mom did not approve of sloth, bad penmanship, using the salad fork for entrees, or any mention of bodily functions. She actually told us on several occasions that “breaking wind” anywhere except in the restroom by one’s self was unacceptable because God gave us the ability to control our bodies and furthermore human “wind” consisted of methane five gas, which can be dangerous if inhaled in large quantities.

Now in light of our church’s relatively formal atmosphere and my mother’s disdain for certain bodily functions, you’ve probably already guessed where this story is heading.

It was a Sunday night service in the summer and I was six years old. I don’t remember all of the details from that fateful evening, only a few. I remember it was an especially long and hot service. Which is probably why Mom motioned that I could lie down on the pew and put my head in her lap. Unfortunately, at the exact moment I scooted down to Mom’s end of the pew, our pastor—Brother Freddie—paused, so when I accidentally broke wind, it was essentially the toot heard round the world. It echoed off the baby blue carpet and stained glassed windows with a mortifying amount of amplification . . . like someone had stepped on a massive whoopee cushion.

What happened immediately after my colossal faux pas is all a blur; however, I can remember exactly what happened when the service was over. Brother Freddie walked to his usual spot at the back of the church so that he could greet everyone as they filed out of the sanctuary. I lolly gagged toward the end of the line and tried to make myself as small as possible—hoping to sneak past him because I just knew he was going to lecture me about the egregiousness of my windy sin. But he noticed me trying to slink past and put out his hand to stop me.

Then that wonderful, kind man stooped down to my six-year-old level so that we could be eye to eye. He grinned and said something along the lines of, “That’s the most entertained I’ve been in church in a long time.” And he hugged me. Instead of lecturing me, that tender shepherd leaned down and loved on me.

How much more amazing is it that the King of all kings condescended from His throne in glory to make grace accessible to sinners like us? Jesus set down his royal scepter and picked up a wet towel to wash our feet. Our divine Shepherd stoops so that you and I don’t have to remain forever red-faced with shame over our flaws. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

• How have you experienced God’s tenderness recently?
• What sorts of flaws do you try to hide from God?
• In what ways has Jesus made it possible for you to never have to slink away from God’s presence again?