Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (NIV)

We’ve all experienced those types of questions before. You know, the ones you can’t answer or don’t want to think about, so you try to dismiss them with a quick and easy answer. Maybe an answer just acceptable enough to deflect the question so the conversation can move on to something else.

But you can’t dismiss a Grandchild’s question. Oh, I suppose you could for a while, but you really shouldn’t—never, ever. And if the truth be told, the same applies to your child—it’s just that with a Grandchild you’ve been given that second chance to get some things right.

Well, our younger Granddaughter Ellie Kate’s question seemed to come from out of nowhere. We weren’t talking about anything related to what she all-of-a-sudden came up with to ask me.

We were just hanging out in the kitchen laughing and doing things you don’t usually do unless blessed with a visit by precious Granddaughters. Occasionally she’d sing out a few “Alleluias” for no apparent reason—except to bring a warm smile to our faces and hearts. And then Ellie Kate—this was a few years ago—hung her question out in the air to haunt us for the ages.

Gran,” and then she paused for a moment to make sure she had my attention as she finished climbing up onto the kitchen center island. I could tell from the inflection in her voice that something serious was on the way.

Yes, sweetie.” I readied myself for what was coming.

Gran—how was God born with nobody?”

Anybody want to take a stab at that one? Please!

She knows about the Baby Jesus, and Mary and Joseph. But this question was not about the birth of Baby Jesus, but it was about the Baby’s Daddy—God the Father. How was He born with nobody already there?

Brief outlines and catchy phrases related to the theories of Creation and other things danced through my head. For a minute I thought about asking her if she wanted to watch a movie.

I even thought for a moment of sharing my “Brick-Wall Theory” to prove that God is and had to be the real deal, always has been, and was here to create it all in the beginning. Simply stated—if you go out as far as you can into the universe, reach or envision what you think to be the end, and then build a brick wall at that spot; what would be on the other side of the wall?

Thinking about that wall, though, has the potential of keeping me up at night; until I remember that the answer is—God. Has to be God—something so infinite and extravagant—that it is beyond any explanation. Anyway, the brick-wall analysis helps me.

But there it was, still hanging in the air—

Gran—how was God born with nobody?”

And my first response— “I don’t know, sweetie.”

I don’t know,” has become a staple for me as I have grown a bit older and have come to realize the truth of that for me. I have learned that it is not always necessary that I demonstrate my knowledge (or lack of knowledge may be more appropriate) on a particular issue or subject.

And then with the benefit of a moment of reflection, I repeated—

I don’t know sweetie.”

And then I added—“That’s what’s so great about God—somehow He started everything and made all this in the world, and you and me, and Himself, and one day He’ll tell us how He did it. One day He can answer your question about how He was born with nobody.”

No deflection there, I hope. Except that I was deflecting it all toward God. Along with an honest admission of ignorance. Stemming from a total lack of knowledge.

And it makes sense since we are standing before the God of the universe, the God who created it all. Understanding it all is not possible—but trusting and believing is. Trusting and believing in the God who loves us, is everywhere, is all-knowing, and all powerful.

So just believe. Trust. Don’t worry too much about understanding it all. One day He’ll tell us everything.

I’m sure in the days ahead our granddaughters will continue to amaze, bewilder and challenge us with the questions they hang in the air for us to ponder. There are still a few out there which their daddy threw out when he was younger—still in need of an answer.

Maybe not today. God’s got all the answers. One day.

In His Name—Scott

 

Copyright 2014. Scott L. Whitaker. All rights reserved.