Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A Mothers Theology




I love driving my youngest anywhere because he sits in his car seat and sings songs he has made up. He sings about whatever is on his mind, creating his own little melodies, singing usually off key, but oh so content.  The songs are always from his heart so I’ve learned to just listen quietly without correcting or commenting until he is finished.

On a dreary still-winter, not-quite-spring morning as we drove to school his musical composition began with the long sad walk down the Via Dolorosa, how the mean people put Jesus on a cross and stuck him with a spear, how a lady named Mary came to see him (pause, right mom, her name was Mary?), how the angel Gabrielle came and said don’t be sad the Holy Spirit took him away, then Gabrielle (that's not a typo - - he INSISTS the angel is a girl!) left and went to another Mary and told her to name her baby Jesus but they went to the town and everyone was closed so they found that place with hay and made a bed for her baby, then Joseph went to Egypt where the Pharaoh was mean and made the people slaves but the momma put the baby in the basket and the princess saved him and he grew up and went and saw the bush on fire and God said “TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES, THIS IS HOLY GROUND” so he did and he heard God say I AM. So he took off his shoes and went and saved the people and they came to the sea and Moses put out his hand and the sea opened and the people went across but the chariots drowned but the people complained. And God was mad. And the  people complained again and its so sad.

And…. then we pulled into the school parking lot and I had to interrupt him. Granted, his chronology was quite out of sync, but his knowledge was right on track.  Before we said our morning drop-off prayer, I made a point of telling him how proud I was of him singing from his heart what he knows about Jesus, and I prayed for him to share his love of Jesus with his friends so they could have Jesus live in their heart someday.

All the while he sang his composition, my heart rejoiced that he is singing about Jesus.

Now remember, all of this took place in the course of 10 minutes. 

As I dropped them at school, in the solitude of the car, the Holy Spirit quietly encouraged me with these thoughts:  my children are listening, my children are learning, my children pick up their theology from me. Their theology is whatever I live for them. Be encouraged as a mom: the years of reading Bible adventures, of repeating Catechism with them, of memorizing Scripture, of praying for them….it is not in vain. 

Do not fret over new diagnosis from doctors, do not grow weary over hours spent in therapist offices. Do not grow tired over the never ending pile of laundry and the dirty floors. Keep on training even when it appears that all they do is fight and whine and need attention. No, they have not kneeled down by their bed and asked Jesus into their heart, but they are soaking up my theology daily. I am laying a foundation for them that all the gates of hell cannot shake.  Do not be discouraged dear mother, take hope and peace in the power of the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts, even at this young age.

2 comments:

  1. I love this post :) My daughter writes 'persuading papers' about how people should love God and Jesus. My son asked Jesus into his heart when he was 6. He loves to memorize scripture. It's so GOOD to know my kids love God.

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  2. Thanks for commenting Laurel.

    I'm sorry for not replying sooner. My browser wouldn't let me reply to posts. Crazy frustrating, but I think its finally fixed!

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