God and Four Year Olds...

(From a conversation I had this afternoon...)

Me: So what did you boys learn about in Sunday School yesterday?
Jude: We didn't go to Sunday School today.
Me: I know, you went yesterday. Remember I saw you there?
Sutton: I remember I saw you there!
Jude: Oh, yeah.
Me: So do you remember what you learned about in Sunday School yesterday?
Sutton: Jesus.
Me: Really? Who is Jesus?
Jude: God!
Sutton: Yeah, God. Well... some people call him God and some people call him Jesus, but some people just call him God.
Me: Is that so?
Sutton: Yes, but he's still the same person.
Me: So where is Jesus?
Sutton: In heaven!
Me: Who else is in heaven?
Sutton and Jude in twinison: Daddy!
Me: That's right. What do you think your daddy is doing in heaven right now?
Sutton: ummm, well, he's probably....well, um...um...um...um...
Jude: Playing Games!
Sutton: Yeah! Playing games!
Me: Really? What kind of games do you think he's playing?
Jude: Jesus games!!!
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I've written elsewhere about our church building... the art, rooms, ambience, and the power of place. One of the my favorite parts of the building doesn't get talked about much. In fact, it's probably only seen by around a half-dozen people weekly and hasn't been talked about in months. I'm speaking of a sheet of paper located just inside the door of the nursery that instructs children's workers on how to talk to the Lake kids about their dad. It tells them not to say things like "Daddy is just sleeping" and "Daddy is underground" and the most horrible "Jesus took Daddy away."

The reason I love this so much is because it speaks of a community of faith that has been proactive in dealing with the death of our friend, of their father. But it also is a powerful reminder to me that the things we say, and refrain from saying, to children are often the things we should be saying, and refraining from saying, to each other. I wish I could have given the sheet of paper to my parents so they would know what to and not to say to me over the past year.

My previous post wasn't a cry for understanding. It was a desire to elevate my knowledge of God and Jesus beyond what I have learned over the years and to attain the maturity of Jude and Sutton Lake.