conversations with a 4 year old

Tuesday, 20 September 2005

I often have conversations with E, but it is really hard for me to remember exactly what she said, so I hardly ever post about them. Yesterday we were driving in the car and I made a conscious effort to remember it, not because it was all that special, interesting, or funny, but because it was so typical of the kind of things she asks and thinks about. So here it is, more or less.

"Mommy, who holds babies the first day?"

"What do you mean? Mommies and Daddies hold their babies when they are first born."

"No, I mean a long time ago-- does God hold babies the first day?" I am a bit puzzled by this, where is she getting this question?

"No, God doesn't hold the babies. First they are in the mommy's tummy, and when they are born, the mommy holds them."

"But God holds all the people in his hands" Aaah yes, I have to supress a smile at this.

"You're right sweetie, God does kind of have us in his hand, but you can't feel him holding you. No, just the mommies and daddies hold the babies."

silence

"But what about the first babies?"

You mean the first people? Do you remember who they were?"

"Yeah...Noah?...Jacob?" I can see her struggling to remember what she learned in Sunday School.

"Adam and Eve- but God made them grown up, so they weren't babies. But then Eve had babies that she held, and then they grew up and had babies, and then they had babies..."

"And they had babies, and they had babies, and they had babies..."

"All the way down to us. And when you grow up, you'll have a baby"

From here the conversation went to how people will keep having babies until Jesus returns, and how and why I am looking forward to that. I think it is so neat to hear her questions, and see her little mind working, trying to figure out this world. It definitely keeps me on my toes, I never know what she will ask, and sometimes how to answer-- like 'why doesn't everyone want to be with Jesus in heaven? Will _____ go to heaven?' But is always interesting trying to see and make sense of things through a child's eyes.