Tales from the Little Rebels

Today at YMCA Summer Camp, a little incident with one of our girls definitely reassured me that humans are born rebels who need to be trained to do what is right.

We are getting ready to go on a field trip to the park. All of the K-5th grade kids attempt to line up, but like usual, get horribly distracted and off-task. We make sure to visit the bathroom before we leave because we certainly don't want any urinary accidents on our way there. All except one of the girls try to go, leaving me with our rebel at the end of the line.

This girl, who will be going into 1st grade next year (let's call her Jane), tells me that she doesn't need to go to the bathroom.

"Well I need you to go in and try to go anyway," I tell her.

"But I don't want to! I don't need to!" she exclaims as the last couple of girls leave the bathroom and head back to our classroom.

"Please Jane, you know that everyone needs to try before we get on the bus."

She ends up huffing and puffing on her way into the bathroom, directly into the stall. Less than five seconds later I hear her pee echoing through the halls. I didn't know that a kid could pee so long. I mean, their bladders aren't that big, are they?

I hear the toilet flush. Then she comes out of the bathroom and tells me again, "I didn't have to go."

"What are you talking about? I just heard you go! Now go wash your hands."

Like Jane, these kids lie so easily. They don't think it's a big deal. They don't understand that it hurts others, causes more problems, and ultimately dishonors God. Kids remind me of purity. Pure happiness sometimes, and pure selfishness other times. It's certainly good to see the joy, smiles, and innocence that beam out of the kids' faces. But it's also very important to look at the selfish, rebellious behavior that bursts forth from each and every one of them.

After all, we used to be kids too. Have we fully grown up?