“Safe!”

Here are three stories about the faith development of my grandsons, Anderson, 2, and Josiah, just now 4.

In March, Anderson and Prisca–his mom–visited his great-grandparents. Anderson was named after his great-grandmother, the former Eleanor Anderson. We call her “Grandy.” On Grandy’s wall is a crucifix made of palm leaves. Because it’s rather abstract, Anderson can be forgiven for not having figured out what it represents. He asked Grandy. She said it pictures Jesus on the cross with his arms outstretched.

Anderson, who knows more about baseball than he does about Jesus, said, “Safe!”

Anderson expressed perfectly the meaning of the cross …

… even if the metaphor itself doesn’t work perfectly, since Jesus is the Runner not the Umpire. Still, I will never again look at a cross without being thankful that I am “safe!” at home.

—–

In church, Josiah learned that God is everywhere. So when he got outside the building, he shouted into the sky at the top of his voice, “Hi, God!” Prisca pointed out that because God is everywhere, He’s not only in the sky, but in us as well, so that we can talk to God quietly, too. Josiah must have understood, because on several occasions during the following week Josiah was heard to whisper quietly, “Hi, God.”

—–

While Anderson was visiting Grandy, Josiah was visiting us. On his first morning, I asked Josiah how his sleep was. He said, “I had a dream about Jesus and God. I love them.”

On another day I caught him singing the words to the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I asked him how he knew the words. After all, some of them are big words: “griefs,” “privilege,” and “forfeit” to name just three. Josiah replied, “One of Anderson’s books has the song.”

—–

Psalm 8:2Psalm 8:2
English: World English Bible - WEB
2?From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, Because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

toddlers shout the songs
That silence atheist babble.

We are safe. God is near. And I love Him. What more do I need to know?

And so I whisper, “Hi, God!”