OCD and Me

I know everyone thinks I have OCD because I do like a clean, organized, orderly environment.  Before I had kids I actually filed my t-shirts upright in a drawer by color.  I organized my CD's by artist by release date from that artist, and I lived in what many have called a museum.  I would dispute that claim, but I can't fight the masses and their opinion of me.  I have always lived by the belief that God is a God of order and we should live ordered lives too.  If you don't live orderly, then you can't possibly be right with God--ha ha!  Just kidding!  But the truth is, I don't like nastiness, and, though I hate to say it, I have judged people on the basis of whether they look nasty or not...and believe me, I'm convinced some individuals just look like they may not wash all the crevices thoroughly...but that's an entirely different blog :) 

Today, however, I joined forces with the 'nasty' people I secretly judge so often.  I came to work without taking a shower.  I keep telling you that those kids in my house are rubbing off on me, and my not bathing before coming to work this morning is living proof.  Now before you get totally grossed out and think I've completely lost my mind, I did put on deodorant and brush my teeth thoroughly, so I didn't go total funk on you all today.  I got up, ate breakfast with my family, and when I came back to take a shower I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair actually looked halfway decent and I really didn't need to wash it.  I hadn't done anything strenuous or dirty since my last shower, and I only had 1 meeting today.  So, I was like, "Why not!"  So, I brushed my teeth, put on the deodorant and little cologne, threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, and hit the road.  My kids would be so proud of their daddy!  The truth is that the little rugrats in my house hate to bathe.  You would think we had stabbed them in the eye with a fork sometimes when we tell them it's time to take a shower because of the weeping and gnashing of teeth they melt into when told to go get clean...and don't even get me started on our fight to get them to brush their teeth!  That leads me to say on a side note, my OCD regarding clean, white teeth will never go away and I am proud to have that be a part of my personality.  I don't do 'yuck mouth', so if you haven't brushed your teeth and couldn't care less what your teeth look like, don't come around me because I'm liable to tell you! 

Anyway, the three little dirty yuck mouths in my house are way more interested in getting the most out of life, which includes playing every second they are awake, and to stop and have to take a shower impedes on the ability to do that, so there is an all out mutiny in our home when it comes to bath time.  To be honest, I think they may be on to something.  They are way more interested in living life to the fullest, being fully abandoned to whatever comes that may be fun and abundantly active, than they are about their skin, hair, or teeth being clean.  I will have to say that the time I saved this morning getting ready, was worth it, so I'm not so sure they are totally wrong, but for the sake of all you who are worried I may go on a bathing strike, do NOT fear!  That ain't happenin' anytime soon!  What I do believe is this is a hint of what Jesus meant when He said that we need to come to Him as little children.  Children couldn't care less about how they look on the outside.  They come sticky, dirty, muddy, sweaty, stinky...halitosis and all...they just come as who they are and trust completely that you will accept them as such, because we always do without question.  I want so badly not to raise little Pharisees, and when they don't want to wash what's on the outside, but are more interested in fulfilling their heart's desire, they are modeling the humility of what it means to come to Jesus dirty, in our worst state, full of sin and not worry about being rejected.  Kids know we aren't going to turn them away just because their outside is messy and unclean, and as Jesus draws us to Himself, He won't turn us way either...no matter how bad or messed up you are or have been on the inside.  I don't want to be a Pharisee and I definitely don't want my kids to be Pharisees, so in honor of that, I haven't washed the 'outside of the cup' today, I'm taking the lead from my kids and worrying more about fulfilling what the inside needs--having fun in Jesus and living life to the fullest.  Now that's abundant living!