Saturday, August 6, 2022
            (click here to listen to or read today’s Scriptures)
Bathroom transfiguration
While Jesus was praying his face and clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions became fully awake and saw this. A cloud came and Moses and Elijah entered the cloud. “This is my beloved Son; listen to him,” a voice spoke from the cloud. And the disciples fell silent.
We call this moment on the mountain “transfiguration,” when Jesus set out on the last part of his ministry – his mission to Jerusalem to be arrested, convicted, and crucified. The image Peter and his friends saw was not that of the Jesus they knew, but of Jesus in heaven.
His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool. His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat. The court was convened and the books were opened.
Later Peter wrote of his experience.
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him, and now we possess the altogether reliable prophetic message. We will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
And there are many transfigurations in our lives, brought to mind by the story of Jesus, when we are “made more beautiful or elevated.”
For years we have added bidets on our toilets, ever since Dr. Mercola sold Margaret on the idea, and then she sold me. So when we moved (mostly) to Austin, we installed bidets on our two apartment toilets right away.
They work great. The water pressure is high, and so they shoot out a strong stream of water. Generally that stream is contained (to put it politely). But when no one is sitting there, and the knob gets turned, well … whammo! In our bathroom the stream hits the mirror and then floods the counter, and whatever happens to be sitting on the counter. It all happens fast.
Miles has been fascinated ever since we’ve been here. But he’s a little nervous about actually using the bidet. Jasper is learning to use the toilet himself, and as a newly minted three-year-old, he’s pretty proud. The day after we got here he stood up and did his work, then turned the bidet knob and watched the flood. I hadn’t put my dop kit stuff away yet, and there were several other things on the counter.
Miles laughed. I laughed, kind of. Jasper laughed. I cleaned up the water. We reminded Jasper what the bidet was for, and how it worked. He didn’t say anything.
Later in the afternoon, Jasper had to pee again. I was helping him this time. He stood down off his stool, and as I walked away he turned the bidet on again. And I turned it off. Surprised. Jasper is plenty mischievous, but not in kind-of in-your-face, destructive ways like this.
The next day we were peeing again. And he asked me, “Grandpa, how do you flush this toilet?”
Aahh!
I pointed to the flush lever. “Right up here, Jasper.” I touched the bidet knob. “Did you think this was how you flushed?”
“Yes, Grandpa.” He didn’t smile, he didn’t laugh. He just said, “Yes.”
In that simple moment I realized and remembered Jasper’s innocence and essential holiness. My picture of him was transfigured.
And I think this kind of thing happens all the time. God makes all things beautiful, all things good.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
(Daniel 7, Psalm 97, 2 Peter 1, Matthew 17, Luke 9)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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