In Honor of Ash Wednesday

Church is a very large part of our family's life. Tater actually cries when someone is sick and we can't go on a Sunday morning. Many of our children's friends are church friends. I have become very involved in the "management side" of our church - heading a committee, being a part of the pastoral call committee, leading small groups, and now becoming a member of the church council. Church grounds us and provides us with a welcoming and enjoyable group of people to surround ourselves with. We admire and mirror many of their values which makes friendship much easier!

In addition to the people, Daddy and I love the peace of a Sunday morning service...a service without the company of our dear little ones! We have a wonderful nursery and a great group of parents who take turns watching the children. And our kids love to play!

Well, since Tater is turning 5, we decided it was time for her to start joining us in the sanctuary for the service. **sigh** So, last Sunday, Daddy was covering the nursery and Tater decided on her own to join me with her goodie bag of quiet activities. She did fairly well for the most part. She was especially quiet during the sermon and I breathed a big sigh of relief...until she leaned over with the questions. Oh, yes, she wasn't just coloring. She was listening...and sort of understanding. The sermon was focused on the ending of Pentecost and the beginning of the lent season. So there was a bit of talk about Jesus being killed. Tater zoomed right in on that word since we preach (no pun intended!) non-violence in our house. Luckily I was able to quiet her and tell her we'd talk about it a bit later.

So at lunch I explained to her that Jesus was killed by some mean people but that he died so that God will forgive us when we make mistakes. She accepted that and I thought we were done...HA!

Last night at dinner she brought it up again. She wanted to know how Jesus could be a baby, a little boy, and man all at the same time. I told her that the stories we heard at church were stories about different times in Jesus' life and that he was a man when he died. And her question? "Why didn't his mommy keep him safe?" I stopped, looked at her, shook my head, and picked up the phone to call Papa to answer that one!

I have a feeling church has become a new adventure!