Four little children were lined up in the bathtub, ready to wash their hair. No one enjoyed it, including myself. But it had to be done. So I started explaining to the children that we were going to wash their hair and if they keep their heads up, looking up at God, then they would not get any soap in their eyes.
I started out with the one who protests the loudest. “All right, Jentzen,” I directed briskly. “Put your elbows on the edge of the tub. If you keep looking up, the water will run through your hair and down your back. It is only when you look down that the water seeps into your eyes.”
Once again we began this twice weekly ritual of explaining, and then quickly washing and rinsing as the howls of protest rose around my ears. “Keep looking up! Look up at the ceiling!” I tried to keep encouraging. But Jentzen didn’t quite trust me. He put his head down, the soapy water run into eyes. The howls led to frantic screams as Jentzens’ hands searched for a towel to wipe away the water from his eyes.
It was so easy to wash the next child, Autumn as she has learned to trust what I say. She will patiently and trustingly put her chin up until I am finished.
The other two follow suit with the first child, Jentzen and will howl and scream when the slightest bit of water will reach their eyes. Oh for the day when they will all put their heads back and look upward!
Mothers of little ones, keep looking up! If we turn our eyes downward, the “dirt” and water will seep into our eyes causing them to blur our vision. The quarrels, tantrums, dirt, and grime of everyday mundane tasks will sting our eyes. So tip your chin up! We are building for eternity.
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