Mud

Luis is a very energetic 6-year-old boy. If there was ever such a thing as an electric Chihuahua you could compare Luis to it for the energy level that he has. Luis has been known to run circles around the family’s Labrador retriever, Hank, and tire him out. If you’ve ever had this breed of dog you know that getting them tired out is next to impossible. It’s not unlikely to find Luis jumping into the large trashcan that his parents place by the curb once a week for garbage pickup. Luis considers it his duty to scare the day lights out of the garbage men that come to pick up his trash by jumping out of the trash can just when they grab hold of it.

Luis has a particular love for mud. Rainy days are Luis favorite because he knows he can go to his backyard and dive into the mud pits that he has constructed for just this type of occasion. Unfortunately, mom does not share Luis passion for mud. Mom is constantly reminding Luis that if he is going to play outside he must have his outdoor clothes on. Sadly, Luis does not always compute mom’s requests, and between his energy level and the insatiable desire to roll around in the mud on more than one occasion he has dived into the mud pits with his Sunday’s best. This always leads to mom yelling at Luis and Luis sitting inside for the rest of the day staring at his mess hanging on the clothesline.

On one particular day Luis had returned home from his cousins Baptism and was dressed in khakis, a dress shirt, and tie—way too formal according to him. The rain had been pouring since they sat down for Mass and all the way home he could not stop thinking about how perfect his mud pits would be. Luis entered his home’s living room where there was a perfect view of the yard, and more importantly the mud pits. Hank, the other energy ball in the family, saw Luis and immediately ran at him, licked him and then bolted outside taking a giant doggy leap into the mud pits. Luis, getting caught up in Hank’s excitement and his own, managed to pull his rain jacket off and then immediately bolted for the mud pits. As he hunched slightly to take a giant leap into the mud pit his tie swung against his face breaking his mud focused trance, but it was too late. Luis was in mid air when his brain computed: tie + mud = bad. He came down in a giant ‘splat!’ Instead of enjoying the moment he got out of the mud pit in disappointment and walked towards the kitchen window where mom would see him. Luis knew he messed up. He had done it again, but this time he refused to simply sit in the mud ashamed. Luis would faithfully go to Mom, apologize and turn himself in.

Mom’s mouth hit the ground as she saw him coming across the yard. “Luis! Those are new pants and a new shirt!” Luis head hung lower. “How many times have I told you not to play in the mud?” Luis stared at his mother and said, “I’m sorry mommy. Sometimes I don’t even realize it…I don’t mean to…I don’t want to be bad. I just get caught up in the moment.” His mother shook her head in sympathy. Luis, standing covered in mud said, “I don’t wanna be bad mommy. I will keep trying till I get it right.”

I’ve come to recognize that faithfulness is not always pretty. For anyone who struggles with an addiction or a bad habit being faithful to yourself and God can be very difficult, and at times disappointing and messy. Faithfulness does not equal being neat and clean or presentable. It doesn’t mean you have it all together or all figured out. Faithfulness can still happen even when you are covered in the mud of your sins. Faithfulness is an earnest, constant, steadfast desire to keep going. We can choose to be faithful to God and ourselves even while covered in mud, but we must get up and come before God’s mercy caked in mud seeking His forgiveness.