Trumpets announce the ceremonial procession of the professors and graduates of Grove City College. Black gowns and flowing robes walk stately down the aisle while parents wave at their sons and daughters. The atmosphere is one of pomp and circumstance.
Our son, Aidan, is one among the 500 graduates, and our family cheers loudly when his name is called. Four years of grit and labor culminate in a single moment as he reaches for his diploma.
Following the graduation, our family celebrates by eating lunch at a local restaurant. Knowing that I frequently drop food on my shirt, my husband mentions his concern as he gives my white blouse an apprehensive look. Feeling a bit miffed at this reminder of my clumsy eating habits, I purpose to make it through the meal without anything landing on myself.
Bravely, I order a cheeseburger and fries, which must include a pool of ketchup for dipping. With determined focus, I make sure that each morsel gets into my mouth and not on my blouse. With much satisfaction, I look down at my blouse and admire my success. My shirt is stainless!
Next step:
Change into comfortable clothes for our long trip back to Lebanon, PA.
I pull on a pair of tan culottes and a purple T-shirt. Our family gathers around the van to say our good-byes to Aidan. I decide to sit on the front seat for a bit, but soon am up again chatting with our kiddos. I notice that my children are staring at me with worried looks.
“Mom, you have a stain on your clothes,” says one.
I turn my body around, but am unable to see what they are talking about. With embarrassed smiles, they explain to me that I have a brown stain on my backside. I return to the seat to see what might have caused the stain. My inspection does not take long, for on the side of my seat is a glob of melted chocolate. Joseph starts to giggle. He knows that he is the guilty party who munched on cookies and left a piece of chocolate on mommy’s seat. The family is full of laughter as dad vigorously tries to wipe away the stain.
Finally, my husband declares that he has removed as much of the stain as he can, and my kiddos stop laughing long enough to tell me that at least no one will see the stain during the ride home.
Sometimes I think God put me on this planet just to make people laugh.
The next day . . .
On Sunday, we attend church, and the pastor put this photo on the screen:
My earthly clothes may get stained, but Jesus gave me His robe of righteousness that will never need to be treated with “Spray and Wash.”
Hello Father God,
I think you like to laugh, because you gave me a funny sense of humor. Do you chuckle when you see us enjoying a good joke? Do you smile when you see me being silly? My husband says he likes my silly side. Do you like my silly side, too?
I am grateful for the spotless robe of righteousness that you gave me when I trusted in Jesus as my Saviour. I never have to worry about messing it up, because the whiteness of that robe is from your holiness.
“I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.”
Isaiah 61:10
As a little girl, I sang this song in Rock Church, VA. Picture me with a tambourine in hand, dancing in the aisles.
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