When your reputation goes down the toilet.

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: John 18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,

Observation: The other disciple in this passage doesn’t get much attention these days for some reason. And why wasn’t he chastised for knowing Jesus like Peter?

Application: When I was in 4th grade (I feel like I may have told this story before, but maybe not) we still had whole-class restroom breaks. On one of those breaks, those of us in the boy’s restroom were especially noisy. Everyone was just especially boisterous for some reason, although I wasn’t really making much noise myself.

What I DID do however, was respond to a challenge. Myself and two of my friends were standing outside of a restroom stall away from the noisiest of the boys. One of those friends dared me to stick my hand in a toilet. I rolled my eyes. As a farm-boy who handled manure on a regular basis, sticking my hand in a clean toilet didn’t seem like much of a challenge at all. So I obliged, they laughed a little bit and that was that…or so I thought.

When we left the restroom the teacher (Mrs. Ferguson, as I recall) lined all the boys up against the wall in the hallway and demanded to know what all of the noise was about. No-one volunteered an answer, so she decided to ask someone directly. Wouldn’t you know, she picked me.

I wasn’t really sure why everyone else was so noisy and didn’t want to get anyone else in trouble, so I just replied, “nothing.”

Not satisfied with that answer, she scanned the group and picked another classmate for the same question. She just happened to pick one of the boys who had been with me outside that restroom stall. “Kent stuck his hand in the toilet” he said.

Gee, thanks!

From that point on I was the only one in trouble.

To this day I can’t remember who either of the other two friends were. They were there, they had dared me to do it, and they were the ones who laughed so loudly. But they got off scot-free and I don’t even remember their names.

So I suppose in a small way I know how Peter might have felt.

Prayer: Lord, regardless of whether we are known or unknown, remembered or unremembered, I can only give thanks for the fact that all of un are known and remembered and treasured by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.