Our oldest son, Cayden, is such a thinker. His little brain is always moving. Sometimes when you talk to him it's as if he's not even there and then all of a sudden he'll say something like ….. “mom, every single day of the world is someone born?” ….. or “mom, if I was about to get hit by a car would you push me out of the way and die for me?” ….. or “mom, who has more super hero powers Super man or The Hulk?” ….. Those are true questions. I love that kid.
Last night we had the best conversation in bed. He told me that he was going to worship God and pray to him as he fell asleep. He said he wanted to write a song to God and he would be able to write it all down when he finally gets to 3rd grade. 🙂 I told him he could write songs with his daddy because his daddy likes to do that too. His eyes lit up and I think until that moment he had no idea that Aaron did that. It was so cute.
Tonight Cayden wanted to talk about God again. Each night he tells me he wants to talk about God and each nigh these questions are getting harder and harder. Last night he asked where people went that didn't go to heaven. He asked if God loved all those people even if they didn't love him. He asked how you get to heaven, and how will he know if he's going to heaven.
Tonight Cayden asked me why Jesus had to die. He asked if he (cayden) was the only person in the world that was perfect if he would have to die on the cross. He asked me why it had to be the cross. Why did he have to die that way. I honestly looked at him with a big blank stare. I prayed with him and told him that I would send his daddy in immediately to answer questions such as why he had to die, why on the cross, and how has Jesus always been God's son even before he was born. Oh my my. 🙂
As I left I felt so good for his questions and his little brain that is always moving. Last night we talked more about following Jesus with your whole heart and soul more than we ever have. He was inquiring on how to get to heaven. I tried so hard to explain that it's more than just saying a prayer and saying you believe, but yet it's about following. Laying down your life. Trusting. Believing. Giving your heart and soul and life to someone. Oh dear Lord please guide my words!
I also left his room thankful that my kids have to spend so many hours at KidStuff at church. I think they are taking some things in! Ha Ha!
My oldest is 6.5 and inquisitive just like that, although her questions aren’t quite so deep yet. But they are getting there. I’m going to really have to put my seminary education to use with these questions. Isn’t it wonderful though, when they ask questions like this? You realize they are learning and starting to understand and you think–maybe I am doing something right.
Jamie, this is so exciting to me! I am holding back tears just thinking about how awesome it is that God is at work in Cayden like this – I can’t wait to have these conversations with my kids!!!!
Do you guys have the Jesus Storybook Bible? It’s insanely helpful at keeping those huge ideas simple. We love it!
Check out Piper’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die”
It’s too much for a kid, but can give you some good answers to put in kid-terms. I’ll be praying for him!
Katie – we love love love love the JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE! I can’t rave enough about it. Honestly now that our kids are in big school night time rituals have kinda taken a different approach and i hate that for story and amos who seemed to have missed out on reading that book so much.
we are now reading THE LION THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE and will continue with those series at night.
BUT I read this and was thinking about this while I was running adn thought the JSBB would be great to read at dinner and great dinner conversation. We just might have to start that!
thanks.
:)Jamie
Hey Jamie! You don’t know me, but because of the blog, I feel like we’re friends 🙂 I am sure you get that a lot. Anyway, I used to teach Caydens class in Kidstuff last summer and boy, is he a SMART kid. Those questions you posted above don’t surprise me. He is a good kid and one of the reasons I miss volunteering with Kidstuff! Thanks for sharing your life and heart with the web. It makes me feel more connected with my church, somehow! I’ll be praying for God to use your words in just the right way to speak to Cayden!
Erin – wow thanks so much. it is good to a momma’s heart to hear someone talk good about one of her kids. Cayden is a smart smart kid and his questions are no surprise to us either. He is always the kid that needs to know WHY. you can’t just tell him something. He needs to process why. As much as that drives me crazy some days I know it is a wonderful quality that God is going to use greatly in his life!
Thanks for commenting and THANK YOU so much for serving our family by loving on our son while he was in your class. That means more to me than you will ever know!
You need to read Big Truths for Young Hearts! Its awesome
Meghan I have it, so maybe I should crack it open and read it!!!!
Hey…
Looking forward to meeting you at T4A. I asked Dan to put with the famous people (like u) so I wouldn’t feel so stupid and lonely at the blogger meet-ups. 🙂
Appreciate your voice here. Inspired and challenged by you.
Blessings,
Jody
I’ve been struggling with how to answer some of those questions too. Wyatt has been asking a lot of stuff as well (thank you, Kidstuff). Matt said in a sermon one Sunday to stop telling kids to ask Jesus in their hearts. I grew up Southern Baptist, so that’s what we’ve always said but I know that’s not right. It is SOOOO much more. I just don’t know how to explain it to my kids. We’ve been reading the Jesus Story Book Bible too, but we’re still in the old testament. I’m excited to see what happens when we get to the new testament. We read it every morning before school, but I have some friends who read it at the dinner table and discuss it over dinner. I really want to get the Big Truths book. I’ve heard great things about it.
Heather – yes me too. i grew up Southern Baptist and the whole “asking him into your heart” is breed in us. There is SO MUCH more to following Jesus than asking him to join your heart. I try to answer with what it means to follow Jesus, for that is truly what Christ follower (Christian) is. 🙂 We used to read the JSB every night before bed, but we’ve just begun reading it at dinner. I love that a lot.