You wouldn’t believe how much these little ladies put out.
I had an engaging conversation the other day about how having a mammalian pet is like having an extra kid. Maybe the same is true for reptiles or amphibians, I don’t know. Then later that day, I was relaxing on the couch when a distinct odor caught my attention…urine and poo. I remember smelling that a lot when our boys were potty training. But true to the conversation (and thankfully), the culprits were our guinea pigs, not the boys. Parent win.
Then later again, our family happened to be watching some home videos. Sure enough, several of them were about our little guys mastering the art of successfully putting poop into the porcelain. So as you can see, God was clearly leading me to post about the potty. And I hope I’ve thought of a good reason why…
It was not so long ago that I’d arrive home from work to learn that my typically delightful 4-year-old (he’s much larger now, as above) decided that interrupting playtime with trips to the potty was frivolous. True, playing Gaga-ball was pretty awesome, but continence turns out to be a more necessary life skill. Plus, he was certainly old enough and experienced enough to know better by then. Even after waking up from naps, he would rather consciously wee than walk out the door and use the facilities.
Now it’s all guinea pig blankies instead of PJ’s!
We needed an appropriate motivator to quell his damp deeds, so we decided on this “punishment”: Have him live with the outcome of his decision. If he wanted to stay in his bed and pee, then he would enjoy the water wonderland he created. We hoped rolling around in urine was less desirable than conveniently absorbing it in pull-ups! The penalty was fair, it fit the crime, and (eventually) it worked well as a deterrent. We’re pretty sure anyway.
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy once joked that the best way to keep his kid from sticking his finger in an electric outlet was to actually let him do it once (imagine Jeff’s voice): “Hurt like hell, didn’t it? You won’t do that again!” The just punishment equaled the natural and logical consequence of his decision, nothing more.
Obviously (maybe?), Jeff was exaggerating, but I mention his colorful language because this relationship between consequence and punishment is perhaps most applicable regarding a much more serious topic: hell. So many of us understand hell as merely a punishment, which raises lots of really difficult and legitimate questions about the goodness, justice, and sensibility of God. But if we understand hell as more a natural and logical consequence of our own decisions, then any punishment associated with it becomes no more than the just and reasonable granting of our desires. Wait, hell is something people truly choose, you might wonder?
Well, surprisingly, God’s explanation of hell is in many ways quite different than the cave-like demon pitch-forking experience you might have a medieval image of in your head (Click to tweet). A fate worse than laundry yes, but one that makes a lot more sense than you might think possible.
To learn how the Bible uses its perception of hell to clear up so many troublesome questions about this place, check out Healing Hereafter. You can download it for FREE here! And of course, I wish you and your loved ones all the continence in the world. 🙂
