Through the eyes of a child

We all have that ONE person who drives us up a wall and annoys us beyond belief. I have many but there is one specific child I watch who pushes me beyond limits of anger that I've never experienced in my life. I'm going to call this child Leah. Now Leah is in grade school and has the intelligence of a child 3 years beyond her age but her maturity is 3 years younger than her age. So, if she were 9, her brain would be working at a 12 year old level but her maturity would be on a 6 year old level.

I made a bold move and asked her if she would like to ride with me to get lunch today. We played the American Flag game, where we counted the American flags from point A to point B. She had 19, I had like 6. We played the country game, where she started with A and went through the whole alphabet and named a country for each letter. I didn't do to bad for someone who hasn't been in a classroom for 10 years. 

We were on the way back to the house and she asked me what Presbyterian meant. Before I tell you the conversation that followed let me tell you the big kicker to this child. She has read, and practically memorized, the bible. You can ask her just about anything and she will know the answer. Even the most advanced questions, she can remember the information. I have tried to stump her for 3 years, and I haven't been able to yet, other than technicalities. Therefore, I had to be very careful with my response. 

I took a deep breath and told her that it was a Christian church with a different doctrine than the others. She, of course said, "What?" We then passed a Lutheran church. I told this child, and I could have been completely wrong, that it was a Christian church that believed differently and was run different from another church. I explained that I grew up Methodist and we had services a different way than another church. I had the hardest time with something that should have been so simple. She said, "then why didn't they just call the church a christian church?" This child and her questions.

I took a deep breath, seeking guidance from God, and stumbled my way through explaining this simple concept to her. To be honest, I don't even know the difference between all the denominations. Then God helped me. I asked her what day she called the Sabbath. She replied, The Sabbath. (Duh Deborah) I continued. Leah, You celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday but I celebrate it on Sunday. Does that make me wrong? She giggled and said, 'kinda.' 

After stumbling a little more I finally came to the end of this run around conversation. I told her that I believed that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins so that I wouldn't live in hell for all eternity. I asked her if she believed the same. Excitedly she said YES! I asked her if she thought if that was the most important thing. She nodded. Dramatically, I asked her if she thought that I would go to hell for celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday. She said, no. I explained that even though we didn't agree on that, that we still believed in Jesus and followed what God's word tells us to do. 

God showed me something very important in that moment. I have spent way to much time in my life nit picking on things that don't really matter when I'm talking to people about their faith. I don't spend a lot of time with people outside my circle that don't believe in God/follow Him. I spend to much time being judgmental about doctrine. I promised myself years ago that I would never be involved with a baptist church because they did my mother wrong, and they didn't believe in speaking in tongues. Look where I am today, working with a Baptist Church.

This child really put me in my place, not just once but 3 times today. This girl drives me crazy, but I learn so much from her. I challenge you to spend more time with children. Their questions really do make you think and take a hard look at yourself and your level of faith. Think simpler, nothing is as complicated as we make it.