::melting heart::

As we sat down for snack time, Judah said, "Mommy, you're my best friend! But you know who who's even more my best friend? GOD!"

Say that again?

Sometimes, I am left dumbfounded. At dinner tonight:

Judah: I want zero percent.

Me: You want zero percent?? Is that what you said?

Judah: Yes, zero percent.

Me: Zero percent of what?

Judah: A car made out of food. Um, I think chocolate.

In an emergency...

We're working on teaching Judah how to dial 911 on my phone and WHEN he is supposed to do it (i.e. when Mommy can't get to the phone). While eating lunch with him today, he randomly piped up and said, "So, when you're dead, I'll dial...um...8? No, 6?..."

Uh, you don't have to wait until I'm dead, Judah!

Death & Bulrushes

We just started Exodus the other night in our nightly family Bible reading. Matt took the time to talk a little about death with the boys -- since the transition from Genesis to Exodus pretty much says "they all died." :-) I was not present for this conversation, so I was a little bewildered the next day when Judah and I exchanged the following:

Judah: I love Eden VERY much...

Me: Awww, I'm so glad you do!

Judah: But she'll get older and then die.

::stunned::

We talked a little about the difference between spirit and body. Try explaining to a 4 year old that who he is can not be seen. We only see his body. And even when his body dies, Judah will still exist -- prayerfully with Jesus if he believes in and loves Jesus! I told him that his spirit is what does the thinking and feeling. Unfortunately, I can't remember his cute response that involved the brain and heart. :-P (Later on, I told Matt about our conversation and was then informed of the little lesson on death the previous night.) I love being a mom. SO many times that I am forced to reckon and grapple with the basics of life as I try to explain it to my children. We learn things, get it under our belt, and then forget to keep pondering. We humans sure miss out on a lot of the depth that life in God's world brings!

Back to Exodus, last night's reading was about when Moses was placed in the basket and sent downriver. Talk about a new perspective! When Moses was 3 months old, his mother could no longer keep him hidden. Eden is 3 months old. As Matt read that chapter, I kept looking at my smiling, squealing Eden imagining how hard it must have been for Moses's mom to place her little guy in a basket she made and then put that basket in a mighty river. Could she have known the outcome? Drowning, eaten by animals, starvation...many things could have taken her son's life. And she probably knew that. Even thinking about my baby crying and not being able to get to her and calm her hurts me. And she's just upstairs -- not in the Nile all by herself.

But this woman had great faith. She had choices. She could have given up hiding him and succumbed to Pharaoh's soldiers. She could have tried to keep him hidden, eventually to be found by the soldiers. She even could have taken his life as a "mercy act" on herself and her baby boy -- his death was an eventuality in men's eyes. But instead, she made the most raw choice. She gave up her baby to creation. A creation that serves its Maker. The Maker she was devoted to. She gave her little son to God, wholly and compeltely. And in giving up her son, she gained him back. By putting Moses into an incredibly dangerous situation for a 3 month old, she saved his life...and got to finish nursing him, raise him a few years, train him...and then see him become one of the greatest men of all time in Egypt and in the history of the Jews!

Would I be willing to give up any of my children in such a way? Would you?

Kids Say the Most Random Things

While wrestling with Elijah, Judah yelled, "MICHAEL JACKSON!"

Raw Vocabulary

Last night, we received quite the picture of raw Flesh bucking against consequences for disobedience. For a while, there has been a hole in the boys' wall right by Judah's top bunk. He's picked at the hole several times and been disciplined for it. Since Matt had yesterday off, he decided to patch 'n paint the wall. During naptime, Judah called him up to ask for a hand wash...Judah had picked at the spackle and made a complete mess (including all over sleeping Elijah). We spent several hours trying to figure out what would be the best consequence for such a thing. Most pertinent was missing the picnic and swimming with a group of friends in order to watch Daddy repair the wall yet again. Judah, our social fishy, was absolutely distraught! He carried on with yelling and crying. After some thought, Matt revised and said Judah could go but would not be allowed to swim. After all, Matt didn't want to miss out by staying home with Judah! But Judah reacted the same way he did when he was told he couldn't go at all -- lots of loud, tearful protest. After a few minutes, because of his unthankful response, Matt gave the final word that he and Judah would stay home. Again, Judah lost it; but this time, he kept telling Matt (through sobs), "I need to tell you something, Daddy!" Matt calmly put him on the couch and said, "I'm listening." It took about 20 seconds for Judah to eek out between sobs...

"I accept your solution."

Wow. Even when not terribly upset, it would be weird to hear a four year old say that. I walked away so that no one would see the small smile fighting its way onto my face. It was terribly sad but a little funny, too. He still was not allowed to go because he should have accepted Daddy's solution when it was given. It's like saying "I'm sorry"...good, but doesn't negate the need for consequence.

Got me thinking. I pray that someday (soon?), Judah will accept Jesus' solution. For now, it is offered freely at any moment in time. He just needs to realize and internalize Jesus' solution to sin -- salvation! In the future, there will come a day when the time for accepting the Solution will pass. There will be no mercy after that.

And, as an adult, I need to continue to accept Jesus' solution. Judah needs the initial solution Christ provides which is a repentant and cleansed heart. I need the continual solution of daily remembering that I am no longer a slave to sin. Seeking the Lord and His strength is my lifelong solution to the battle I wage against my raw Flesh. May I daily use the same vocabulary my four year old did and say, "I accept Your solution!"