My Special Things

My 3 year old often wants to know, when we go places, if she can take toys with her.  This morning she asked if she could take her Cabbage Patch baby to heaven with her...you know, her favorite toy that I'm having a hard time getting away from her to wash.

"No," I say, "There will be better things in heaven that don't fall apart."  Wrong answer--she wells up with tears, "But I want to take my baby and my blanket.  They're my special things." 

I welcomed her to come sit on my lap as I tried to smooth things over with how much better heaven would be.  I told her I didn't know what all would be in heaven (she was also worried there wouldn't be a place to go to the bathroom).  I tried to assure her that everything in heaven would be better (because now we live in a broken world with broken things) and that we would have everything we will need or want (although our wants might be different, I think we'll be far from bored).  Honestly, I wasn't very successful, but we eventually changed the subject.

Still, It made me think of how many temporary things (you know, all that stuff that is bound to wear out and break) that I hold on to too tightly.  I want to be a good steward of the material things God has entrusted me with, but I want to be an even better steward of the spiritual and eternal matters that He has entrusted me with. 

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Teachable Moments

This isn't a picture to show you my 2 cute ragamuffins in their play clothes.

It is a picture to show you how big our truck is.  Z obviously isn't tall enough to get into the truck by herself, and I'm not tall myself.  So whenever the girls and I are out and about by ourselves, I have to hold the baby in one arm and hoist the 3 year old into the back seat with the other.  I'm sure it's quite entertaining.

It's not ideal, but at least both the car seats fit in it, as opposed to our little Ford Escort.  I would like our family vehicle should be a larger car that still gets good gas mileage, but my husband thinks we should get a diesel Excursion (he has a thing against small cars).  Our 3 year old thinks we should have a mini van, but she calls my mom's SUV a van, so I'm not sure what she has in mind.

Z has been asking some time now if/when we can get a mini van.  We've told her that we don't know...maybe she should ask God.

So the other day she says, "Mommy, how would God give us a mini van?"  I thought I encourage her curiosity by answering and use the teachable moment as I went on to explain how sometimes God gives us different opportunities to earn money or find good deals.

Of course, she already had something else in mind.  She said, "I think God ties a big rope around it and lowers it down." 

I replied, "That would take a really big rope." 

"Why?" she asks. 

"Because vans are very heavy," I say, "That's not how God normally does things...but, He could if He wanted to." 

And so it turned out to be a teachable moment for me too, as God reminded me that He on occasion has done supernatural things, and He is powerful enough to take care of us.  Right now He is taking care of us in our large pick up, but look out for falling vans.