HOW'D HIM GET IN THERE?

Out of the Mouth of Babes

“What did you learn in Children’s Church today?”

It was customary for Ron and me to quiz our grandkids on the way home from church to see if they paid attention or learned anything new. If the response was credible and it sounded like they really tried to understand, we would stop for a treat BEFORE Sunday dinner. Needless to say, Macailyn and Levi began to compete with one another to give the best answers.

“We learned about God!”

Levi was a six-year old with few words unless, of course, his Papa was talking about football. Conversations about his favorite sport opened the floodgates of chatter he apparently saved just for those special times with his Papa.

“No, we learned about where Him lives!”

Macailyn was nearly five but had the wisdom of … well, let’s just say she was smarter than she should have been at that age!

So, I began to question them. “Okay, Macailyn, where does God live?”

Levi butt in. “He lives in heaven with Jesus and the angels.”

“No, Levi, Him lives in US!”

Macailyn was always correcting her older brother. She never missed a chance to prove her “superior” intelligence! But she opened the door for more questions …

“So, Macailyn, how do you know God lives in us?”

“Cuz, I can feel Him sometimes. He tickles me!”

Macailyn was giggling; Ron and I were trying our best not to laugh. I caught a glimpse of Levi rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Nana, Macailyn thinks she knows everything. God doesn’t tickle anybody, she’s probably just gotta shoot a bunny.”

In case you don’t understand their terminology, “shoot a bunny” is our endearing expression for passing gas.

“Well, Levi, sometimes I feel Him in me and He makes me smile. That’s probably what Macailyn’s feeling, too.”

“He does, Nana! God tickles me cuz Him’s inside me.”

Sometimes the hardest part of being their Nana was not laughing when they were being serious but funny at the same time. And, believe me, Macailyn was dead serious. She was determined that God tickles her.

We continued down the road as the kids managed to start another argument—Levi put his feet too close to Macailyn and she tried to get him to move. I figured I’d better change the subject again to get their attention off the race for space in the back seat.

“What do you guys want to eat when we get home? How about hamburgers on the grill—you both love them.”

They eagerly agreed. To be honest, at this point we were rather shocked to hear their agreement.

Were we witnessing a breakthrough?

Well, probably not.

As we stopped for the treat we promised them, Macailyn started again.

“Nana, I want ice cream, I don’t want candy.”

“No, Nana! I want candy. I don’t like ice cream!”

Being the wise man he is, Ron stopped at Dairy Mart and let them pick out their treat for paying attention in Children’s Church that morning—Macailyn got her ice cream and Levi his candy bar. Ron and Levi stood in line to pay while Macailyn ran back to the car.

“Got my favorite! Hey, Nana, how’d Him get in there, anyway?”

“What, Macailyn?”

“How’d Him get in me, Nana? Did I eat Him?”

That was it—I couldn’t hold it in any longer; I burst out laughing. Although she had no idea what was so funny, Macailyn began laughing along with me.

When the guys got in the car, I was near tears. Laughter is contagious, there’s no doubt. Levi began laughing but Ron had to know what was so funny. Macailyn tried her best to explain herself, but to no avail. We laughed all the way home and enjoyed a fun day that Sunday not so many years ago.

Macailyn is nine years old now and Levi nearly eleven. She still says she feels God inside her and He still makes her smile. But, she knows she didn’t “eat Him”—she asked Him into her heart and she knows He’s there to stay.