Toilet Paper. Oh Toilet Paper.

Missionary Lesson #1

If toiletries could talk...

I remember it well.

The first time I was in a group being taught how to throw toilet paper away.

Why the lesson? Can't you just drop it in the toilet and flush? Oh no my friends, we are outside of the United States now. This isn't Kansas anymore....this is Guatemala. Our plumbing is quite different. We've heard horror stories of how the narrow cement pipes in our charming colonial town date back to before America was even born and how many earthquakes have caused the pipes to shift trapping helpless toilet paper on these rough cement edges, thus backing the whole thing up and creating a glorious disaster.

I've seen them rip apart the cobble stone streets of Antigua to fix pipes that are backed up. It isn't pretty.

I imagine the Guatemalan workers saying something to the effect of, "d*#n gringos. why can't they just throw out their toilet paper like the rest of us?"

 Oh Guatemala I love you.

"So you are going to take your used toilet paper and fold it in half. Now fold it in half again. and again. So all you see is...white. Throw it away in the small trash can next to the toilet."

Your careless flushing could cause this...

A sea of questions usually follow:  

"WAIT WHAT???"

"Doesn't it, well you know... stink?"

"Um, that's gross, what if you forget and flush it anyway?"

"Ewwww, why?"

"Is that what you have to do at your house?"

The teenage boys on teams think it's awesome. The girls think it's awful. The adults on teams usually come up to me as I'm sitting down for dinner and quietly confess they forgot and flushed it anyway.  It usually helps to serve as a nice side dish to the evening's meal.  Who among us doesn't want to hear about something you wiped your rear end on while trying to eat dinner?

So now I've been giving these same talks for 8 years and I always chuckle as I watch the various reactions.

"Yes, it does smell, but don't stick your nose in the trash can and you'll survive. We empty the trash every day."

"If you forget and drop it in, go get a stick and fish the sopping mess out of the water and throw it away."

"If you flush it, the world will not end, nor will Guatemala cease to exist, but try not to forget."

"And yes, that's what I do at my house and I've lived to talk and now blog about it."

One thing I rarely say is "Oh yeah, I forget sometimes too, and before i know it....flushhhhhhhhh. oops. sorry Guatemala."

My question is why are we so embarrassed to talk about our...(fill in your favorite word for feces.)
Why is it that even though it happens to all of us, we like to pretend it doesn't. Everyone's (insert same word here) stinks. Let's call a spade a spade.  Or a poop a poop, if you will.

More importantly why are we embarrassed to share the truth about the things we struggle with?  Why do we think we are the only one struggling with it- whether it's gossip or cheating or lying or lust  or pornography or jealousy or pride or judgment or....well the list goes on and on.

Galatians 6:2 says "Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

Imagine a situation where you could be totally honest with someone. You could share with them what you are struggling with and they...and here's the the key....would NOT judge you. What would happen if instead judgement, you were given grace?

One of the most freeing things happened to me this July. Two very good friends were visiting me in Guatemala, and one night we were talking about things that have difficult for us in our walk. I shared something with them. I flinched as soon as the words left my mouth expecting them to gasp in judgement. You know the gasp, you probably did it last time someone shared gossip disguised as a prayer request. However, instead of judgement, they responded in love. It was beautiful. It was freeing. It's been an encouragement to me in so many ways. I want other people to have the same freedom.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

The best part about being honest is that God is so faithful and loving to forgive us completely.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John1:9

So. Let's start with us. You and Me. Let's be real. If you need to cry. Let's cry. If you need to yell, God can handle it. If you need to confess, I won't judge. I will pray with you. Encourage you. Keep you accountable. All I ask you to do the same for me. If I'm not the person in your life then find that person. And let the freedom to be real flow.

This could change life as we know it...