Theology of a Three Year Old

August 12, 2008 by mommy.

This is going to be the longest, most rambling post ever, but I can’t think of a better way to capture the amazing conversation I had with Emily at prayer time right before bed tonight. I asked Emily to start the prayers tonight and she counted to ten so we thanked Jesus for counting. Then she said we needed to pray for Mr. Jason because the owie in his head is “getting worser”. She then asked why this was and I said we don’t know what God’s plan is. For simplicity’s sake, I will now designate the rest of the conversation with M for Mommy and E for Emily.
E: No, God has to go to work.
M: You’re right, God is going to do His work but we don’t know what His plan is.
E: No, he has to go to work on his computer.
M: I don’t know if God has a computer. Someday when we get to heaven we can ask Him.
E: Yeah, I want to go to heaven now to ask him!
M: Honey, we can’t go to heaven right now.
E: When can we go?
M: We don’t go to heaven until we die.
E: When are we going to die?
M: I don’t know sweetie. Only God knows that.
E: When we are dead can we play with God?
M: Yes honey.
E: I think Norah is going to die. (ok, way to freak me out!)
M: Well, we will all die eventually. But I am glad that we are not dead yet so we can be here with each other. When we die we are in heaven forever and we don’t come back.
E: The big dog Jack is in heaven. (note - this is our friend’s dog that passed away last year and Emily has never forgotten him)
M: Yes, you are right. (some people may disagree with whether animals go to heaven but that is not a discussion to have with young children in my opinion)
E: Heaven and Haiti are really far away.
M: You are right honey, but they are different. Haiti is a country, you can find it on a map. Heaven is God’s house, it is up there, you can’t see it.
E: Yeah…in Haiti, there are boys and girls that don’t have mommies and daddies. That’s why Aunt Jen is there to help them!
M: Yes, that’s right honey! But Aunt Jen will come back from Haiti. Heaven is forever.
E: Why is heaven forever?
M: Well, when we die, our bodies stay here, but do you know the special part that is inside of us?
E: Yes…
M: Well that part goes to live in heaven with God. You know how we say heaven is God’s house and Jesus is the key to God’s house?
E: Yeah, Jesus is the key.
M: Well, we get to live in heaven with God someday because we believe in Jesus.
E: Yeah. Jesus is in heaven with God because Jesus is dead.
M: Well, no honey, actually Jesus is alive!
E: Why isn’t Jesus dead?
M: Remember how at Easter Jesus died on the cross but then he rose again and now he’s alive?
E: Yeah…
M: He is alive in heaven. And that’s why we get to live in heaven forever with God.
E: In heaven can we play with Jesus and God?
M: Yes honey, I am sure we can. That will be fun.
E: I think God has cars for us to play with.
M: I’ll be you are right.
E: Mommy, will you be in heaven with me?
M: Yes, I will be there because I believe in Jesus. Honey, do you believe in Jesus?
E: Yes, I believe in Jesus.
M: Do you believe he died and rose again so we can be with him forever in heaven?
E: Yeah.
M: Me too. So that means we will both be there with him forever!
E: And we can play with Jesus and God!
M: Yes honey.
E: I love you mommy.
M: I love you too sweetie.

Whew! My mind was very tired after that. Dan of course pointed out after I told him the story that if God has toy cars He almost certainly has a computer! Yes, I suppose so, but look at the awesome conversation I would have missed out on had I taken the “easy way out” on the original question.

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