Since we've been reading books to find out about Egypt, Gracie & I were talking about other things we could learn about. She said maybe we could read a book that would tell us if the stories in the Bible really happened. At first, I was a little shocked and scared by such a statement. However, I want her to know that it's okay to have questions and that her daddy & I can be trusted to answer her honestly. I assured her that indeed those stories really did happen and asked her how we know that. She answered, "because God tells us in the Bible" with a big smile on her face. However, even though she was easily persuaded that the stories really did happen, she then wanted to know where they happened. After telling her that they happened in all sorts of different places, she continued with the questions wanting to know if we could really go to those places. I assured her that yes, it would be a long way but yes, we really could. (Of course, as Chris pointed out tonight, some of those places don't exist today as the same city or whatever, but I don't want to get too deep on her. She is only 5.)
I was telling my mom about these questions and then it hit me that Mom had given her a really nice children's atlas awhile back. I pulled it out tonight and she & Chris (because geography isn't my area of expertise at all) sat down on the couch and found out where all sorts of interesting places are: Paris (because that's where Madeline lives!), Germany (because that's where cousin Trey was stationed in the Army), New York (because it's a big city), Egypt (because she likes it), Bethlehem (because that's where Jesus was born), Alabama (because we might go on vacation there this summer), etc. I love seeing her want to learn and then actually do it!
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Gracie did the sweetest thing today. We were talking about her day and whether or not anyone had not been sweet at school.....whether anyone had said anything bad, etc. I want to keep open communication about this type of thing so she'll hopefully feel comfortable talking to us and we can help her know how to respond to different situations that will come up. We know she's going to experience things that aren't ideal and we want to teach her how she should act. Anyway, she informed me that "J" (who isn't my favorite classmate of hers for a variety of reasons) had told "C" that her hair was ugly. We talked about what she could say to "C" if that happens again to make her feel happy and what she could do if he ever says that to her, etc. I told her that tonight & tomorrow morning we would pray for "J" and ask that he be sweet and that God would help him to be nice. We were saying our prayer with Katie before bed and Gracie walked in the room. (She usually will say her prayer with Chris in her room.) We finished our prayer with Katie and Gracie reminded me, "What about "J"? So, we bowed again to include "J" in our prayer. I'm so thankful for her sweet heart and faith in God! Oh, to have the faith of a child!
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Dear Lord,
Thank you for all of our blessings. Please be with Gracie as she grows up. Help us to give her the roots she needs to always put You first but the wings to fly and grow in You as well! Help her to recognize when things aren't good and to stay away from those things and please let her trust us as her parents to guide her. Thank you for her sweet heart! I pray that You help Chris & I to grow in You as well! Be with our precious Katie Boo also, Lord! She is so full of life and I pray that she'll love You first as well.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
2 comments:
I love how you are teaching Gracie at home--and how you are communicating with her about what happens at school.
I see you building faith all kinds of ways--and it's so exciting to see (well, read about)!
Until I was about five, I thought all the Bible stories happened in Heaven. I figured that's where God lives, so that's where it all happened. Then when I was in kindergarten, my dad took me to see the movie about the search for Noah's Ark. It showed a man in a plane flying over what many believe is the ark on top of Mt. Ararat in Turkey. "How did that guy fly his plane all the way to Heaven?" I asked my dad. He cleared things up for me.
Julia asks some tough questions, too, sometimes. I think the key is even when you don't know all the answers, keep letting them ask the questions. It will help lay the foundation for not only what they believe, but why.
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