Advent(ures)
Just in case the last day or two you’ve felt like all has not been right in the universe, I think I may know why. Jesus has been in time out. Apparently the Jesus in our nativity hit my two year old, so he informed me that he put Jesus in time out. And it ’s a long one. At the end of day two and there’s no sign of parole for the Savior of the world. He gets his theology from his dad…
Makes me think of when my daughter was three (she’s six now) and we were approaching Christmas. Clever girl that she is, she had figured out that a successful way to extend bedtime was to ask theological questions. So she asked, “How big is God?” Flippantly I replied, “So big. Bigger than me, bigger than Daddy, bigger than our house, bigger than the world.” (How do you accurately answer that one?) Anyway, my girl was silent. Thoughtful. Then she said, “I think I like Jesus better than God.” Curious of course, I asked why, “Because He’s my size.” Now I am silent. Thoughtful.
She had no idea the depth of truth in her words. She, in her wonderfully childlike way, had summed up the Incarnation. I love it. And I love Him. I love Him for willingly entering this world so that we would know that He knows from first hand experience what it’s like to be us. I can never say in the midst of one of my inevitable temper tantrums, “But He just doesn’t understand!” He does, and I find comfort and hope in that.
Incarnational thought for the day. I’m pretty sure it’s not by living a seemingly squeaky clean, trouble free, victorious life. I tried that (albeit not very well). It doesn’t wash. I’ve had more authentic and sincere conversations with people when I’ve been honest about my own humanity and struggle. And I think it’s because at some point they are able to say, “Hey, she’s my size!”
I want people to see in me how real Jesus is. I guess that means I have to be too.
From the mouths of babes…
December 2nd, 2005 | #
Kids sure ask the tough questions, don’t they? Just today at the supper table, our five year old asked “When Jesus was baptized, how could God’s voice come out of heaven if Jesus is God, and He was on the earth?” Ah yes . . . the Trinity. Try to explain that one to a five year old. Three-leaf clover? Rope of three strands? An egg? The three-leafed clover analogy seemed to satisfy her curious mind . . . for now.
Also at suppertime, but from the mouth of her younger sister (so you have to imagine that indescribably cute way that two year olds talk) . . . “Daddy, donut forget, Jesus wuvs you. Dunkin says dat.”
I love my girls.
December 8th, 2005 | #
Hey everybody,
Sorry about most of the recent comments all being delayed several days before showing up. I had the comment moderation set to require moderation, but I wasn’t getting the notice of new comments to moderate (oops). Anyone with a previously-approved comment would be okay, but first-time commenters would have been delayed. I’ve opened it up now, and we’ll see how it goes… if comment spam gets to be an issue, I’ll probably lock it down a bit more.
December 10th, 2005 | #