When our grandson, Hudson, was three years old, he began to understand that he could not be obedient and make the right choices without some help. “I really try to do the right thing but it’s just so hard, Mimi!” he told me. I assured him that I totally understood his dilemma. Hudson decided he needed someone in his life to help him when he was weak. And he chose his older brother, Justus, to be that someone.
Justus and Hudson loved watching Paw Patrol, a televisions show about seven brave puppies - Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, Rubble, Skye, and Everest. This team of heroic puppies was led by Ryder, a genius with anything techy. The mission of Paw Patrol was to work together on rescue missions. Their goal was to keep the city of Adventure Bay safe. I loved this show because it taught some valuable life lessons such as the importance of friendship and teamwork. And I have to admit, it is just plain fun to watch. Cutest. Show. Ever. And from that show came some of the cutest stuffed animals ever. So, it was time for Mimi to spring into action. I searched for those stuffed animals every time I went to a store, but they disappeared almost immediately after being put out. I guess there were other grandmothers at work. I finally managed to get all seven stuffed puppies and put them in my secret hiding place. I was going to wait until their next birthday rolled around. Or maybe for Christmas. But deep in my heart, I knew that was not going to happen. I just could not help myself.
I can still hear Hudson screaming in pure joy when he found Chase in his car seat. Just shouted, “Yes!” when he found Marshall on his bed. It was Wednesday. Why couldn't we celebrate that? I mean, why not?Justus and Hudson slept with their Paw Patrol puppies, brought them when they were spending the night at our house … in fact, those puppies went just about everywhere the boys went.
Danna, Sam, and the boys were going on vacation. When the car was packed, and they were about to leave, Danna had a heart-to-heart conversation with Hudson. Hud was going through this strange phase of throwing things out of the window while riding in the car. He loved the fresh air and begged his mom or dad to put the window down just a little bit. But that often ended in disaster. Hudson had tossed both his mom’s phone and dad’s phone out of the car window. The phones were followed by one of Hudson’s shoes, a watch, Hot Wheel cars … you get the picture. So off they went, windows down and music blaring! Justus and Hudson were in their car seats holding their Paw Patrol puppies. Everything was going smoothly.
Danna was watching them in the rear-view mirror. She said Hudson was very thoughtful, a serious look on his face as he stared at Chase. Suddenly, he handed his priceless puppy to Justus and said, “Justus! Help me! Can you hold Chase, so I won’t throw him out of the window?” In other words, Hudson was asking his brother to keep him from making the wrong choice. He was asking Justus to hold him accountable.
We often view accountability almost like a straight jacket. We think accountability will limit our freedom of expression. Actually, the opposite is true. Accountability allows us to grow and change and is a valuable part of every relationship. I think the reason we experience little accountability is because being accountable to someone requires us to be submissive to that person. Submission is not a dirty word. It is protection and teaches us to think of the desires and wishes of someone else before our own. Ouch! That is hard!
Think about accountability this way. God places people in our lives to see things we cannot see, to correct and protect us. Accountability is not a crutch, and the willingness to be submissive is not a weakness. In my book, Sandpaper People, I talk a lot about accountability and how it helps build healthy relationships. I define submission as a harnessed strength, a controlled strength that is born out of obedience to God’s command.
Jesus understood what submission really is. Jesus willingly surrendered his hopes and dreams to His Father’s plan. He gave up heaven for earth, a throne for a manger. The result was the most powerful life ever lived. And it changed everything! So, when we choose to submit ourselves to God and practice accountability in our relationships, we will discover a new freedom and power in our lives.
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