This is real life. The theology questions are already getting intense and he’s only three.
One afternoon Little Man tried to go around the car without me while I was buckling his sister into her seat, I tried to communicate the importance of staying next to me in parking lots and general car safety, and this is the conversation we had.
Me: “It’s very important that you stay next to me when we are in the parking lot or a car might not see you and it could hit you and break your head.
Him: ok mama…but if my head got broken then God could make it again right? (We just read about some miracles of Jesus lately, so he’s talking about healing…)
Me: Yes, he could honey, but he doesn’t always. So you still have to be careful.
….
That same day, as we were riding in the car this conversation occurred:
Him: Does God have a car?
Me: Well, he could if he wanted to, but he doesn’t really need one since He’s everywhere at one time.
Him: You mean like at the donut shop? What if he wanted to drive to the donut shop?
Me: Well, he’s already there buddy. And he’s in our car. And at your friend’s house and at church…etc.
Him: Does God have a bike???? Does he just walk everywhere?
Me: Well, he could ride a bike if He wanted to, but he doesn’t need to. He’s everywhere at one time.
Him: like at the donut shop?
Me: Yes, He’s there. and here with us, and at Grandma’s house…
and on and on.
Later that same day we started discussing the trinity, because he asked:
Him: Does God have feet?
I knew he was asking this because of our earlier conversation about God being everywhere and he was trying to reconcile that with what he knew about Jesus walking around in the Bible stories that we’ve read together.
Me: Well yes, Jesus has feet and Jesus is God, so yes. But God is also everywhere at one time.
Him: *furrowed brow and silence as he contemplates*
He’s just 3 and I feel like I need a degree in theology to keep up.
I’ve made an effort since he was small to include conversations about God in our every day lives. We try (but often fail) to read a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible every day and spend some time praying with him too, but I feel like he’s learning a lot from just the simple conversations that we have with him everyday.
I know I’m learning a lot from them and also trying to figure out how to explain omnipresence to a 3 year old.
What age did your children start having deep questions about God like this? How did you handle it?
*This is not the place for a theology debate – keep it pleasant, sharing thoughts and stories. Thanks!!!
Betty says
I had one daughter as early as 2-years-old started asking questions. In fact she was talking and completing full sentences before age one. She was quite inquisitive and curious about everything.
Melinda ~ Marshmallow Mudpie says
My little guy started asking the same sort of questions at around 3, and I just tried to answer directly, but not add too much explanation because it was just too much for his little mind to handle (can’t blame him, it’s too much for the adult mind most times). We read out of the Jesus Storybook Bible too! Every Sunday as a family – best children’s bible by far! It is very hard sometimes because I don’t think their little minds can process God as “not a person” because he’s Jesus’s dad and all. I find that Jesus is much easier to explain to little ones than God.
Georgia says
My daughter is 2 1/2 and we’re already there. We try to answer directly and also try to do some thing every day. Just yesterday we had a big talk about prayer and why we do it and how (as I was praying out loud our tires wouldn’t go flat on the jogging stroller as we were in a sketchy area). And.. the tires went flat.
Great lessons. :)
Jelli says
How cute. You know you’re driving home the point with your kids if he’s already asking all these questions. Way to go Paula! P.S. I love the Jesus Storybook Bible. It’s my favorite kids Bible, hands down!
Katy says
So cute! I once looked after a little girl who turned to me (aged 4) and announced ‘Did you know Jesus wears a pirate hat?’ – I have no idea where she got it from, and couldn’t really find an argument against it… perhaps He does!
Katelyn F says
One of my twin daughters in particular (she’s only 3 too) has asked some amazing questions. We also try to keep the discussion going on faith and doctrine throughout our lives. It’s amazing. And I love hearing my daughters play together – sometimes they’ll pray, heal stuffed animals, prophecy like a prophet, and talk about the Spirit of God!
Helene says
My 5 year old is a hilarious theology student. The other day at the supermarket (after a Sunday school lesson on John the Baptist including his leather belt) she pointed at the meat counter and announced to her sister that John had a belt made of that stuff! She was pointing at the liver.