Parenting requires all sorts of skills. Some I feel much more prepared for, others leave me at sea. Cooking and cleaning I can accomplish with some degree of mastery. I find discipline and theology to be more of a moving target -- especially as my little ones grow. This morning we had an interesting discussion. (I'll see if I can remember enough to clue you in. . .)
From the living room:
Andrew: I gonna be Jesus
(Mom's ears perk up)
Mom: So, Drew, who are you?
Drew: I Jesus
Anika: He can't be Jesus! That takes Jesus' name away
[Editor's note: Anika hears "take Jesus' name in vain" as "take Jesus' name away" - I kinda like it!]
Drew: But He does good things!
Mom: Yes, Drew, I'm glad you want to be like Jesus
Drew: Yes, he takes peoples' sin away.
Mom: Isn't that wonderful!
Drew: Yep, he takes their friends away.
Mom (confused): No, Andrew, not their friends, their sins.
Drew: Oh. . .
Mom: Do you know what sins are?
Drew: No
Mom: Well, sins are naughty things we do like disobeying, taking things that aren't ours, being mean. . .
Drew (getting into it): and hitting, and 'neaking candy, and stealing babies -- That's bad manners!
[Editors note: I don't know that Andrew knows much about stealing babies - I think he was looking at the baby doll that Anika was playing with. Also, our "Good Manner Jar" seems to be working at least on some level. . .]
Attention span exceeded, Andrew moves on to the next thing. Mom sits down to blog about it:-)
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5 comments:
I'm LOL here! We've had very similar discussions at our house. Among my favs, if Jesus takes our sins away, where does he take them? As far away as the east is from the west doesn't seem to fly with a 4 yr old!
I understand your moving target thought...sometimes when I'm caught off guard I catch myself saying let's talk about this some more when dad gets home. I'm not always ready to answer Taylor's deep questions but I try!! =)
My favorite theology question I am constantly asked, "So and so is up on in heaven but when are they coming back?" "Well Can I go and visit them in heaven?"
Tough questions but so glad they are asking and looking for more and more answers.
You're intro to this conversation is so profound! I am comforted to know that the Holy Spirit is providing me with the same support and answers as a parent that it would as if I were evangalizing to a stranger, you know?
Funny, Ella is really into being Jesus right now and also labels a sin as a "rude thing/bad manners."
Too cute. I love the exchange. And the short span of it. The part about taking away friends. Our Chayse (4) was having trouble with a "friend" at school. I told him maybe we should pray for him about being mean. Chayse got this shocked/scared look on his face and said "No Gramma we can't pray for him, God will make him disappear!" The only thing I could figure out was he has been told that God will make our sins disappear! Hard not to laugh in those situations!
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