More Conversations

Yes, I know the last post was also a recent conversation with A, but these are the things that I never want to forget. I LOVE this age. I can see that she is trying so hard to process life and make sense of everything. I love that she has questions and opinions and is still at the age that almost anything and everything that comes to her mind also comes out of her mouth.

Between she and J (Papa to her) in the car recently

A: Papa, when I grow up I am going to get married, my husband's name will be Fritz and we will live in Arizona. We are going to have 2 kids, a girl named Abby and a boy named Shepherd. I am going to drive a red car with musical stickers, a crown, boots, and a veil on it. Fritz is going to be a, um, a, uhh, Papa what are you?

J: I'm a project manager

A: Fritz will be a project manager and work in Connecticut. I'm going to be a nurse-doctor-nurse. We are going to have 17 cats, named Abby (even though her daughter will also be Abby), Sninka, Nina, and, um, 13 others. [I guess she got tired of coming up with names, but at least her math was close :)]. Mommy won't be able to come see us since she's allergic to cats, but you can come over!

J: Ummm, well good, I'm glad I'll be able to come and visit you.

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Another one in the car with me recently. I'm seeing a theme here. I think maybe she knows that in the car she has our full attention-no phone ringing, dinner cooking, laundry folding, etc, and I think she also knows that, in a sense, she has us cornered!

A: How do we get to heaven?

Me: Well, when you know Jesus, you go to heaven when you die.

A: Right, but how do we get there?

Me: To heaven?

A: Yes

Me: (totally dumbfounded on how to answer this and starting to sweat at where this conversation is going) I don't know exactly, but Jesus will take us to heaven after we die, and we'll know then

A: Hmmmm, I think {pauses as she comes up with an answer, because she always has an answer} that he comes down with a rope and takes us up to heaven.

Me: Well, maybe that's what happens.

A: And I think there are lots of cats in heaven.

A couple things I gleaned from that discussion (1) A apparently thinks Jesus bungee jumps out of heaven, grabs you, and flings right back up (2) she is not pleased with the fact that I'm allergic to cats and therefore we don't have any.

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Again, in the car. Last week we took A, G, and our nieces to the zoo. Our niece, O, was in the third row seat, behind A and G. O propped her feet up on the armrest of G's seat, but not touching A or G.

A: Papa, O has her feet on brother's seat!

J: Don't be a tattletale, O is fine. You don't need to worry about what's going on behind you, just worry about yourself and what's going on in front of you.

A few minutes later J reprimanded A about something, can't remember exactly what it was....A's response?

A: Papa, don't worry about what's going on behind you, just worry about yourself and what's going on in front of you.

I'm impressed J didn't wreck the car he was laughing so hard!

Sometimes I wish I could just jump inside her head and experience what's going on in there.

Toddler Wisdom

About 6 months ago J and I started trying to introduce Av to faith and God. She loves to sing the song "Jesus loves me." We pray together at meals. I think my favorite time with her is in our bedtime routine when we read from her children's Bible and pray together. This is the time of day that she is (somewhat) still and she wants to snuggle with us, cuddled up with her blanket while she holds my hand. I hold her in an almost cradled position, as if she's a baby again-sometimes she even asks me to sing rock-a-by-baby.

I know that this routine is important, teaching her the importance of regular, hopefully daily, time in prayer and God's word, but I also wonder how much of it does she grasp? How do I explain to a 2 year old that her only hope is in Christ's death and resurrection and that we are dependent on grace that we don't deserve? Recently, I have been able to see a glimpse of what she is taking from these moments.

Last week we read about Jesus washing the disciples' feet. I often wonder what Av is thinking while we're reading. Sometimes she is jumping in the bed, talking to me while I'm trying to read, flipping pages before I read anything on it, or quoting lines from "Monster at the End of This Book" instead of listening to what I'm reading.. Well, last night I discovered I'm not giving her enough credit for how much she is listening. While picking out what we were going to read, she asked "are we going to read Jesus washing feet?" My heart melted.

Another instance happened a couple weeks ago while we were praying. For our prayer routine I turn out the lights, put her in her crib, and she asks to hold my hand. I started out praying and Av finishes prayer time by saying "thank you" or "God bless" for whatever her list is that day. It could include friends, family, rain, the park, the pool, and all the other topics a 2 year old ponders. This particular night she started a usual prayer list and ended with "thank you for 'Jesus loves me.'" What else could I add to that? I had to agree with Av. Yes, Lord, thank you that you love me when I have done nothing to deserve your love and grace.

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.