Justin the stipper

I was trying to think of things I could blog about the other day and decided that I would dedicate a blog for each of my kids.  There are so many funny and inspiring things they have either done or said and what better way to memorialize them on a blog.
So without delaying any longer I'll start with Justin.
While I was trying to decide which memory to share about Justin, I texted him and asked if he minded if I shared some things.  He said, "no, just run it by me first".   Well, dear son, I haven't run it by you first, but I'm pretty sure you won't mind.  It is a funny story and who cares what you did when you were younger really.  It's not like you still do what I'm about to reveal, right?
From the time Justin could get dressed and undressed on his own, actually, from the time he was potty trained he had a horrible habit of stripping down when he needed to use the bathroom.  At first, I  figured it was because he was home or going to be getting in the bathtub or what not.  Must to my dismay, I soon found out that it wasn't just at home that he was doing this.   I can't remember his exact age that i realized that he was stripping in public bathrooms, but I remember the place.  We were in an Olive Garden somewhere and my nephew was with us.  I can't even remember which nephew it was that I sent to check on him.  Anyway, Justin had been gone longer than I thought was nessesary and so I sent my nephew to check on him.  Well, he came back and told us that Justins clothes where on the floor of the bathroom stall.  OH MY GOSH!  How gross is that?  Come to find out, Justin had been stripping down anytime he needed to use the rest room, no matter where we were.  When I say stripping down, i mean shirt, pants, undies AND socks and shoes.  The worst part is, because he took off his shoes and didn't want to touch the bathroom floor, he would put his clothes on the floor to put his feet on them.  UGH, it gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.  All I can picture is his cute little cubby cheeks and big brown eyes sitting happily on the pot, doing his business not even aware that millions of microscopic ickyness was worming it's way onto his clothes.   Thankfully he grew out of the need to strip.  Well, at least I think he has.........  however, even to this day, he puts a towel on the floor in front of the toilet to stand on when he goes.
When I think about this story from a spiritual sense, it reminds me of the way we are supposed to lay our problems at the feet of Christ.   For Justn, his clothes caused a problem when he went to do his business.  He needed to strip away everything and lay it down in order to do what he needed to do.  Aren't we all supposed to do that?  We need to strip away all the yuck and stuff that hinders us and lay it at the Lords feet.  So many times we hold on to the things that keep us from being free and hold us back rather than strip down and expose ourselves to the life giving freedom in Christ.  Justin didn't care were he was when he stripped, he just knew he needed to do it.  I would encourage everyone to be like that in their spirtual walk with the Lord.  Myself included.  We need to feel comfortable enough and free enough to trust Christ and expose ourselves to get our business done, whether it be in our prayer life, confessing our sins or whatever.