ENCOURAGED IN HEART

It is absolutely pathetic (or appalling) that I write this, but for the next three days, the Fink Family has accepted “the challenge”. No, not a heroic 5K race for a good cause or eat rice and beans so we can offer that portion of the food budget to a missions group, no…that would be what “normal” families do when they step up to a challenge.

For us, the next three days, we’re going to see if we can not bring up the word, “poop” at the kitchen table during meals.

Seriously.

Even more pathetic, I was, ahem…the one who busted the challenge up at breakfast yesterday. It was innocent, that I promise you. Let me first blame Cal…then Dave before I accept ownership. Cal spoke of his desire to take care of elephants when he gets older. Dave said feeding and cleaning would be required. Then BLAM-O, I just had to tell the boys of the most traumatic circus story of my life… where the quantity of “the word” that exited the large elephant in front of my seat continues to haunt me two decades later.

We renewed the challenge at breakfast.

Then Dave, on purpose (no less) at dinner, declares in an intentional and stretched out way that he is, “the word”-ed out from our family hike today. And subsequently flashes me one of those charming grins that melts my heart. Clever, very clever Finkster…

“The word” challenge clock was reset at dinner tonight.

What happened to the days when I’d pray they’d “the word” into the toilet. Now I’m praying we know when and where to say “the word”. I don’t know, is three days, nine meals, and a handful of snacks too much to ask…could this be mission impossible?

Only time will tell if the Finks are for for a challenge of this caliber. Tell me, I’m begging you…that we’re not the only home needing to do this challenge. Or, did I just secure never having you over for a meal?