A Little Boy As He Waited

I found myself in a waiting room last week.
The wait was not long, but it did allow me to people watch a bit.
For me, that is a wonderful way to pass the time.
There is such scope for the imagination, as Anne Shirley of Green Gables would say.

I purposely keep my phone in my pocketbook.
It is amazing that this is the first thing most people do when they are waiting.
I see phones in hand in the grocery store line.
I see phones in hand in a doctor or dentist’s office.

This day, I was alone in the waiting room as the person behind the counter was busy.
Soon, a mother and her three children entered.
There is always a television in a waiting room with the volume so low it might as well be off.
I don’t pay attention to it because it is usually cooking or home renovation shows.

The mother went to the counter, while her little son and daughter sat in a chair.
The older son went into the bathroom before he sat down.
Her young daughter curled up on the chair and watched the TV.
I don’t think the show interested her, but it was something to do.

The little boy didn’t want to sit.
He found something more intriguing around the corner from my seat.
He came back rubbing his hands together.
He brought his hands to his nose and then rubbed some more.

He went back and repeated what he had just done.
He came back and then did the same ritual again.
He rubbed his hands together as he smelled them.
His sister gave him a “better stop that right now” look, which meant nothing to him.

The mother returned from the counter.
She saw her little son and noticed his ritual.
Why don’t you get your backpack and play with your trucks? She encouraged.
He pulled a dinosaur backpack from the chair and proceeded to pull a few trucks from inside.

This was not as interesting as whatever was around the corner.
By now, I had surmised what he was doing.
His mother confirmed my supposition.
OK, that’s enough, she said kindly, your hands are clean enough.

My supposition was correct.
The little boy had found a hand sanitizer dispenser.
He was walking over, putting his hands underneath as he pushed the button.
A glob of hand sanitizer fell into his hand.

By now the little girl was watching TV and the older boy was out of the bathroom.
The little boy started to walk over to the dispenser again.
Your hands are clean enough, his mother said.
He didn’t think they were, or else the dispenser was a far better way to pass the time.

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.
Peter was indignant that Jesus would never wash his feet.
Jesus reminded Peter that unless He washed him, Peter would have no part in Him.
Peter answered, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (John 13: 10,11)

I watched this little boy, smiling at how he was entertaining himself.
He was like a child playing with the box the toy came in, instead of the toy itself.
I thought of Jesus’ statement: “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet.
Jesus washed them; now they need daily repentance (washing their feet) to be clean.

The little boy’s ritual reminded me of Jesus’ words as He washed His disciples feet.
He want back multiple times to use the hand sanitizer dispenser.
Oh, that we would be so intentional to daily wash our hands and our feet in repentance.
If only the little boy knew how I enjoyed my time as I waited.