Changing Diapers Matters

CdLSI recently told Lisa, “Changing David’s diapers might be the most significant thing you do in a day.” Think about that for moment. A husband telling his wife that changing diapers might be the most significant thing she does with her time? It’s no wonder she recently helped me realize my burro-like personality! (read the story) To give this comment greater context, in case you don’t know about my wife Lisa Leonard, she is a well known and beloved blogger (my friends joke that I am “Mr. Lisa Leonard”), we run a company together—she does all the creative stuff that people actually like while I do the office stuff, she is a fantastic listener to whom people can pour out their hearts, she is a conference speaker, she’s been on TV and more. And I, the husband tell her the most significant thing she does is change diapers.

A little more context. David is ten. We’ve been changing his diapers for ten years. (When I say we, she does about 90% of it compared to my 10%.) I won’t compare how many diapers we’ve changed to others—everyone’s circumstances are different. Still, it’s about the most mundane, tiring thing we do in a week. If diaper days were over, we would throw a party. And I say to her, “Changing David’s diapers might be the most significant thing you do in a day.”

Here’s the thing. We look forward to the resurrection and the day when God will set the world to rights. I think on that day our son, free from Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, ten fingers and ten toes will look at his mom and say “Mom, thank you for taking care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself.” It is an act of sacrifice. It is an act that is for David. It is an act that dignifies his humanity. It is an act of love.  While there are so many people Lisa touches in a day through her blog and our business, as significant as those encounters are, there is a qualitative difference.

And, while this is true of a mom helping her son with specials needs, it actually illustrates a bigger point. In a society driven by a search for significance, often measured by how large our influence is, or how big an income we have, or how high we attain on the success ladder, perhaps we need to rethink how we measure significance. It may just be that the most routine, dirty, unenviable tasks you and I do in a day are the very things in which we are making the largest difference in the world. It’s not sexy, it’s not glamorous, but it may just be true.

Makes me think I need to change more diapers! What do you do that’s routine, or unenviable that might just be more significant than you think?

5 comments

  1. I follow your wife on a lot of social media just for the creativity. I then realized that you guys had even more to impart into my life. I dont mean to glorify you guys cleary God gives you guys yiur strengh:) but i admire you guys strength and raisin gyiur beautiful son. I have a heart for special need life stories… i actually gave birth to a son with special needs …he was stillborn. He was diagnosed at 19 weeks with Trisomy 13 and incompatible with life. They encouraged us to “terminate” and fast. We decided that God would take him if that was his will. It was difficult but beautiful carrying yiur first baby knowing he is doomed to pass away, but God knows what you can handle. You guys are an inspiration…if he were to be alive i would like to think we would lov ehim just like you love your son. We all have our own testimonies…i love watching you guys live yours out! Sorry if too much information…God bless you guys!!! And both your kids blessed to have you as parents, but im sure you guys feel blessed to be their parents:)

  2. Thanks for the great post. It is the day-in-day-out acts that communicate the richness of our loving commitment. I am blessed to have read this.

  3. Wow, this post brought tears to my eyes, because I have been feeling very insignificant lately. Thank you… BTW, my husband is one of the associate pastors at the church in Torrance you used to serve at (PV). I was wearing one of Lisa’s necklaces and a bunch of people recognized it and let me know 🙂

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