Jellyfish

I think there is a difference between pushing religious beliefs on my children and simply helping them understand where I stand and answering their questions when they arise.  While I would like for them to share the same beliefs that I do, I also want them to know that they are their own people and free to believe what they choose.

Over the last year or so, Bekah will say things like, "My brain told me to do xyz, but I didn't."  I wasn't sure what she meant, so I would just respond with something like, "well, do you think that by not doing xyz, you made the right choice?"  She would say yes and we would go on.  100% of the time, the things her "brain" was telling her to do were things that weren't really the right thing to do.

Here's an example, while putting away dishes in the dishwasher....

"Mommy, my brain told me to see if the edge of this knife to see if it is sharp, but I didn't."

ME: "Do you think that not touching the edge of the knife was the right decision?"

"Yes, I think I shouldn't touch a knife."

ME: "Well good!  Then it looks like you did the right thing."

And that was the end.

It took me a while to figure out where this was coming from, but I finally determined a few things that I believe (feel free to disagree):

1.) Bekah has a very close relationship with me.  She tells me everything, even the smallest little things, she thinks she needs to tell me.  I am so thankful for that relationship with her.

2.) At times, she has a very naive personality/demeanor.  Sometimes, I don't think she even realizes that some things she should probably keep to herself.  (Like, when she tells me I look kinda chubby in a pair of pants!)

So, I think she's at an age where she's "curious" about things, and instead of just full out doing it, she conciously thinks about doing it, then makes the right choice and tells me about it.  The only way I can materialize the thoughts is the whole "angel on one shoulder-devil on the other" metaphor.

Bekah prays about everything.  Honest to goodness, God love her - she prays about everything.  She prays that she will not have to go #2 at school because she's embarrassed, she prays that God won't make her cry when she waves bye to me as she gets on the bus, she prays that God won't make her scared when she lays in bed at night.

And if there's one thing that I am thankful for, it's a child that trusts me, and more importantly trusts God.

So, we've had a few teachable moments this past year. 

For instance....

A little girl in her class (who Bekah considers VERY smart) was having a hard time passing "Math Masters" - our equivalent of the old trusty addition/subtraction timed tests in elementary.

She said, "Mommy so-and-so keeps not passing Math Masters and I feel really bad for her."  So, as I always do, I said, "well, do you think if you said a prayer for her before the test tomorrow, it might help?"  She agreed that she thought it might help her.

The next day she came home and said, "Mommy!  Before our Math Masters test, I said a prayer for so-and-so that God would make her pass the test and guess what!!?   She did!!!"

Then tears welled up in her eyes as she told me, "...but I didn't pass the level today mommy.  Why did I say a prayer for so-and-so to pass, but I didn't."

[Insert teachable moment about how much God honors humility here]

So, I explained to her that, while I understand it is very, very tough to see someone else get the "prize" that you prayed for them to have but then  you are left seemingly empty handed, God was SO proud of her for being truly happy for the other student that passed the test, despite her own score; and that today just wasn't her day to pass.... but God will honor that prayer that she prayed for the other student, and not herself. ... in a really big way.

I'm not sure that lesson sunk in, but it sure warmed my heart.

Fast forward to today.

We were riding in the car and she started in on some random thing that her "brain" told her to do.  Beacuse I feel that she's to the point where she can start hearing a small bit about the Devil and his misguided ways... I decided to bring that into the "my brain told me such and such" story.

So, I explained it the best way that I could.  Definitely not exactly accurate, but as accurate as I could get it... to a 7 year old.

I told her that the Devil doesn't want us to go to heaven, and he'll tell us to do things that aren't very good and nice.  But Jesus lives in our hearts (this is where it gets tricky with the whole accepting Christ/baptism/etc - so for my Christian readers, bear with me here...).

So, Jesus lives in our hearts and when we are "told" certain things in our minds by the devil, and our hearts feel otherwise, we really need to listen to our hearts because Jesus would never misguide us. 

I told her that any time her brain tells her to do something, she really needs to think about what Jesus would do in those situations and most likely, if she really listens.... she'll hear the answer in her heart.

(At what point do I take my own advice here!?! ha!!)

She said she understood and that the Devil doesn't sound very nice.  And she wants to make sure she goes to heaven.

I agreed, and reiterated that she will go to heaven because Jesus is in her heart.

A few minutes later, after some serious thinking she said,

"Mommy, how do Jellyfish go to heaven?  Since they don't have any hearts, how can Jesus live in them and make them go to heaven?"


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1 Point - Bekah
0 Points -Mommy