Do you have nieces and nephews? I’m blessed enough to have four nephews and three nieces. I love them all dearly and try to stay in touch with them often. The older ones are either in college or out in the workforce, so it isn’t as easy to connect with them. They have busy lives of their own, always on the go. The younger three (6 and under) are out west in Colorado, so while we can Skype or talk on the phone, we don’t get a lot of time together.
I try to check in with my Colorado family often, because little ones grow and change so quickly. I hate they aren’t closer, but we do what we can.
Last night my cell phone rang and when I picked it up, I saw it was from their house. I assumed it was my sister-in-law, Jen, because she and I talk more than anyone else in the family. To my surprise, it was my niece, Haley Ray. She’s only called me on her own one other time when she was 3. She found her mom’s phone and just randomly hit a number and ended up calling me. This time was different. She was calling me from the home phone, so she actually had to dial my number. Obviously, her mother knew she was calling me and I later learned it was Jens idea she talk with me.
After we had talked for quite a while discussing her family, school and how she was sitting in her daddy’s special chair because he wasn’t home, I asked to talk with her mom. The conversation went something like this:
Thank you for calling me, Haley. May I speak with your mommy for a minute?”
Yes, but wait a minute. I have a question I want to ask you.”
Okay, princess, what’s your question?”
How did God get born?”
What?”
How did God get born? Who is His mommy?”
Well, I have to say, I wasn’t expecting that one. I was expecting her to ask me if I would be at the beach this year or if she could come visit me, but “How did God get born?” never entered my mind.
1 Peter 3:15 says,
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
Even when a six year old asks you who God’s mommy is. So I dove in. I explained how God didn’t have a mommy because He’s always been alive and He’s always been God. I tried to keep things as simple as I could without side stepping her question. I shared how the Bible tells us that God was in the past, that He is right now in the present, and He is to come, so He’ll be in our future too (Revelation 4:8). When I finished, I asked her if I had answered her question. She said I did; then I told her I had a question of my own,
What do you think about all that, Haley Ray? What do you think about God always being here and knowing that He’s always with you?”
That’s cool!”
Before hanging up, she finally let me speak with her mother and I immediately thanked her for throwing me under the bus and failing to give me a heads up on Haley’s question. She laughed and said,
Clearly, you were the one to answer her question.”
As I hung up the phone, chuckling all the way, I realized 1 Peter 3:15 isn’t just referring to witnessing in situations we orchestrate ourselves. It isn’t just about mission trips or the sinner’s prayer. It’s a challenge to know what you believe and be able to back it up.
So that, my friends, was my theology lesson last night, taught to me by a 6 year old.
What’s the hardest question anyone has ever you about your faith? How did you answer it?
Keina, I’m not sure I understand your question.