This one, I can't explain......

Some conversations are deeper than others, some not so memorable and some may be completely silly. You really never know what you're going to get when you talk to a 5 year old boy. Yesterday afternoon, the conversation the sweetest hubby and son had made my jaw drop to the floor. A little background first.



I'd left early for children's choir, leaving the two of them here to come over later. Before I left, I helped Ben get his clothes back on for church as he was in his usual state of dress: underwear and a smile. As I was heading to his room, I heard the sweet sound of a toy that, now that I think about it, I have no idea how to describe. It's one of those little plush, pull-type toys - this one happens to be a yellow kitty - with a hanger for the doorknob that plays a little lullaby when you pull it's tail... am I making any sense? Why can't I figure out what to call the blasted thing?? Anyway....we've had that little toy since Ben was a baby and I haven't seen it in probably a year or more - since we moved, I guess. So, when I walked into his room and heard the tinkling sound of a lullaby, I wondered what was up. Ben was standing in his room, hugging and cuddling the kitty, saying he wanted to take it to church with him. I told him no, he couldn't take it to church, but he could take it in the car with him if he wanted to. That seemed to appease him, so I helped him get dressed and went with him down the stairs, where I said my byes and left.

The rest of the story is recounted from what Greg told me. Ben was still hugging and cuddling the kitty as he sat on the couch to watch tv. At some point, he wound up sitting next to his daddy. Greg hugged him and asked him the age old question, "do you know how much I love you?" To which Ben answered, "more than God". His daddy explained to him that "No, God loves you even more than I or Mommy does".

Well, then Ben started telling his daddy a story. He said that when he was a baby, in heaven, that he was in a room with a bunch of other babies, and that God was there. He said that all the babies were soon gone - leaving him alone with God. He said that God stayed with him, played with him, and talked to him. But, then on a Thursday - God told him that in 3 days he'd come home to us.

Later, after we'd returned home from church, we three were standing in the kitchen. Greg asked Ben to tell me what they'd talked about earlier. Ben then proceeded to tell everything he'd told his daddy. I asked him what does God look like? He told me, " he has a beard, and white hair. And he wears a blue dress. And he's barefooted".

The description of God - I don't know if it's correct or not - have to wait and see.

The day of the week was wrong. But sometimes even now, he gets his days mixed up - so how much more so might he have gotten it wrong when he was still just a wish and a prayer in our hearts - but so well known by God!

The 3 days? Exactly spot on.

3 days was when he came into our home, our family, our hearts. 3 days old.

Thank you God for watching over him until you sent him home to be with us. And thank you God for watching over him now.

Bedtime prayers

Putting little man to bed is one thing. Getting him to settle down and actually go to sleep is another thing entirely. Two nights ago, we're all three in his bed, snuggled up together. The giggles and wiggles have finally ceased, so it's time for bedtime prayers. All eyes closed, hands together, whispered prayers.

Dear God,
Tdank you for all the people and the city and mommy and daddy and tdank you for the planets and pluto and mars and tdank you for our house and our church......
amen

Couple of things. Firstly: I'm not sure exactly how to spell thank you the way he says it, so that will have to do. It used to be Fank you, but now it's sort of a stuffy-nosed thank you, hence the 'tdank' you, above.

Secondly: I'm sure there was more to the prayer, but in all honesty - after the thank you for Pluto and Mars - I sort of stopped listening.
In all the prayers in all the world throughout time - y'think God has ever gotten one for Pluto and Mars???? Y' think He's up there saying, "Well, it's about time somebody recognized Pluto and Mars?"

And no, we didn't bother to tell little man that there has been some question as to the validity of Pluto actually being a planet. Why break a little guys heart?

Ben's story

Once Upon a Time, in a not-so faraway kingdom and not-so long ago time, a man and a woman lived and wished and hoped and prayed for a baby they could love all for their very own, forever and ever....they wanted more than anything to be called Mommy and Daddy.
Many years came and went; but their wishes, their hopes and their prayers didn’t come to pass; for you see, this man and this woman weren’t able to have a baby on their own. But God knew the wishes and hopes and (most importantly) He heard all the way from Heaven - the prayers from this man and this woman.
Then, He made a miracle happen!

Somewhere in time, God made a secret plan! He decided that this man and this woman would be the perfect Mommy and Daddy for a very, very special little blue-eyed baby boy. But, in order for His wonderful and miraculous plan to be fulfilled, God had to bring together two young people, each from very different and very far-away parts of the world; to a big, big city with lots and lots of bright lights, and millions and millions of people. It took God only one night, but in that one night, a very, very special blue-eyed baby boy was created.

Time passed for the man and the woman: still wishing and hoping and praying for a baby; when one evening their phone rang. The woman answered the phone and a Nice Lady on the phone (one of God’s special angels on earth) told the man and woman about the birth of a very, very special blue-eyed baby boy, and that the young couple, led by God, had chosen the man and the woman to be the special baby’s parents forever and ever and always! The man and the woman were so excited that their wishes and hopes and prayers had finally been answered!! They had been waiting for this call for what seemed to them like forever!!
The man and the woman immediately went out far and wide in the kingdom to get all the things their new baby son might need: little bitty bottles and formula to fill them; a stroller for exploring; a bouncy chair for when he wanted to sit up and, well, bounce; a car seat to ride safely throughout the kingdom; and the littlest and sweetest clothes and diapers you’ve ever seen...so many more things they’d need as time went by, and all of it to welcome this beautiful baby boy home. Their whole world would change, and soon, so would their names; for you see, now and for always, they would be known as Mommy and Daddy; and their very, very special blue-eyed baby boy would be given the name Ben.
Then, just a few days later, this very, very special, beautiful blue-eyed baby boy; who we now know and love so much, came home to live forever and ever and always with his Mommy and Daddy! Everyone in the kingdom rejoiced! Ben came home to a house so full of love and thankfulness to God for His secret, wonderful plan.

The kingdom of Mommy and Daddy and Ben is full of hugs and kisses and love and laughter, all because of the wonderful and secret, miraculous plan God had for a beautiful, blue-eyed baby boy....named Ben.