I know that as parents, it's the time of year when we are always wondering how to answer our kids interesting holiday questions- why are there two Santa's, which one is the real Santa, how can he visit all of the houses, we don't have a chimney- how does he get in, how do reindeer fly. I have to say, I have some pretty good answers to all of these questions, but Brooke came up with a Christmas question that stopped me in my tracks last week. Thought I would share.
"Mom, When did Joseph become a God?"
"Hmm, Brooke. He isn't a God, he's a man just like your dad. What makes you think that?"
"Well, in the scriptures it says that Jesus was the son of God. So instead he is the son of Joseph?"
"OH- I see what you are saying. Joseph was Jesus' adopted father (Brooke has a pretty good grasp of this) and Heavenly Father is Jesus real father."
Here is where you can see Brooke's little wheels turning-she really thinks and analyzes everything. She's also old enough that she has a small understanding of how babies come to be- ya know- a mom and a dad- etc.
"Mom, are you telling me that Mary is Jesus mom and Heavenly Father is his dad?" You can hear the implied question in her voice.
"Yes, that's what I am saying, but it's not like that." (Sigh)
"SO- then how is it?"
"Ya, Brooke- I don't know the answer to that... I just know that it's not like we're thinking. Hey Brooke, look, there's a Santa, How do you think he gets those reindeer to fly?"
I know that I didn't handle it exactly right, but there are some questions that I just don't know the answer to and that are bigger then my brain.
"Mom, When did Joseph become a God?"
"Hmm, Brooke. He isn't a God, he's a man just like your dad. What makes you think that?"
"Well, in the scriptures it says that Jesus was the son of God. So instead he is the son of Joseph?"
"OH- I see what you are saying. Joseph was Jesus' adopted father (Brooke has a pretty good grasp of this) and Heavenly Father is Jesus real father."
Here is where you can see Brooke's little wheels turning-she really thinks and analyzes everything. She's also old enough that she has a small understanding of how babies come to be- ya know- a mom and a dad- etc.
"Mom, are you telling me that Mary is Jesus mom and Heavenly Father is his dad?" You can hear the implied question in her voice.
"Yes, that's what I am saying, but it's not like that." (Sigh)
"SO- then how is it?"
"Ya, Brooke- I don't know the answer to that... I just know that it's not like we're thinking. Hey Brooke, look, there's a Santa, How do you think he gets those reindeer to fly?"
I know that I didn't handle it exactly right, but there are some questions that I just don't know the answer to and that are bigger then my brain.
I am a very literal person. I don't think that God works by "magic" and I think that there can be a scientific explanation for everything he does. I think that God works by natural laws and he doesn't deviate from them.
ReplyDeleteThus, there must be some way that God made Mary pregnant with his son. Now that I am actually getting into the work force where employers may search these forums, I have to be selective in my public speech. But, I think that God followed the normal laws of procreation, but he might have been creative in his approach. Take from that what you will, or give me a call and we can talk about it.
I certainly don't think that you are going to find any scripture on how the immaculate conception actually took place . . . but let me know.
I agree w/ the God has to follow natural laws- I also think that my brain knows the answer but I like your idea of "more creative". But then, I do also think that maybe there are other options- in-vetro anyone? Really though, can you see me trying to explain this to my almost 10 year old? It's like "forever- eternity", it's just SO BIG! Brooke has also been trying to wrap her head around how Heavenly Father created spirits. She pictures a big spirit factory where he chooses hair and eye color, skin color, etc and we're mass produced. Again, we know it's not that way, but there are just some questions that we've told her she's going to have to remember to ask when she gets to Heaven!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those times that I really don't have to know how it happened (althought it is interesting) I'm just glad that it did. This does not make me look forward to Emma getting bigger. She is already too inquisitive.
ReplyDeleteI am always late in my answers and I have not looked at the blog for a long time. It is good for kids to know early in life that there are just some things that God has not told us and that that if God thought that it was important for us to know that he would have told us. But then you all know that.
ReplyDelete