We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
—2 Corinthians
10:5
I
woke up this morning with “to do” lists etched on my mind. Today’s list, which
included laundry, vacuuming, and grocery shopping, grew into an
endless list of things to do before my out-of-town guest arrives in a few weeks.
Added to that were thoughts of the new school year and its own “to do” list. So much to do and no one here to help!
That
thought thrust me headlong into a downward spiral of self-pity. Lord, I need a husband. Why haven’t You seen
fit to send me one? What is wrong with me? Am I not worthy? Am I not attractive
enough?
Then
my eyes caught glimpse of the purple soap on the night stand. “Why on earth
would you keep soap on your night stand?” you might ask.
One
weekend I was keeping my two-year-old granddaughter, Layla, and it was time for
her bath. I realized I had no bath toys to occupy her and distract her from the
task at hand—she was not particularly a fan of hair-washing. I scanned the
shelf in the bathroom and discovered the wedding favor ornamental soap. I
quickly removed the tulle wrapping and offered Layla the diminutive soap, which
fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. Within seconds, she dropped it into the
water. Created without the buoyancy of Ivory soap, the tiny soap plunged to
the bottom. Layla reached for it, but the wake she generated with her hand
pushed the soap farther away. She reached again, and the soap floated upward
ever so slightly, but still she couldn’t grasp it.
“Catch
it, Layla!” I heard myself say. “Catch it,” I repeated, dragging out my words,
which echoed something I had read earlier in the week.
