At two years old, maybe Jason had in mind a more stunning, starring role for his future in pictures but he is definitely famous in our book, our many photo albumns, that is! I can’t resist on the eve of his birthday, the quarter century celebration of his birth to brag on our little shining star and say, “Happy Birthday, Jason!” All grown up, he looks a little serious in this shot and I have seen this thinking face throughout his life. Is it any wonder he is in seminary? I don’t wonder about it at all and you won’t either after reading some of the conversations the little philosopher and I had long ago (don’t worry, my kids gave me permission to write about them):
God Goes Underground:
Jason (age 4): “Mommy, does God go under the dirt?
Mom: “Well…(moment of hesitation trying to predict the direction of this question) I think since God is everywhere He must be able to go under the dirt too, if He wants to.”
“But how does He get under the ground?”
“I don’t know, honey. How do you think He does it?”
“He probably uses a BIG shovel and digs a GREAT BIG hole!” he exclaimed with arms outstretched wide.
“Jason, why do you think God would WANT to go underground?”
(…looking at me dumbfounded)”To watch over the worms and roly-polys, Mommy!”
Why God Made People:
Jason(age 4): “Mommy, why did God make people?”
“Hmmmm….well…(again a pause hoping for wisdom in my answers!) I guess God wanted the world to be a beautiful place to live. So, He made lots and lots of people, all kinds of animals, trees, flowers, and birds…”
“And bugs?”
“Yes, bugs too!”
(…after a long pause) “Must be God is tired.”
“Why, honey?”
“From doing all that hard work!”
“Well, I guess that’s right. It must have been a big job.”
“Mommy, He did a great job didn’t He?”
“He sure did. He sure did, honey!”
Back then I was guided and am still inspired by the words of a favorite philosopher and poet, Kahlil Gibran, from The Prophet, regarding children:
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the Archer’s Hand be for gladness; for even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”
Of course, we had no idea this little arrow would land all the way in Philadelphia someday! We miss you, Jason, but we trust the Archer’s Hand who holds us all.
Snippets and Snatches 