The Tough Questions

What are we having for dinner?

Who's that?

What are you doing?

These are the questions that GG asks.  The ones Rick and I can answer.  

Last night, Rick shared with me an incident that occurred while I was not at home.

After running around and playing, Gabriella had leaned in close to Rick for a hug.  Because they had been playing so hard, she could feel Rick's heart beating.  She put her hand on Rick's chest and asked, "What's that?"  Rick told her it was his beating heart and proceeded to help her feel her own heart beating.  He told her it was how we know we're alive.  Rick shared that she was intrigued.  I guess it was the first time she had ever noticed...the first time she had ever felt a beating heart.  When Rick took her upstairs to change her, Gabriella brought up this new discovery again.  She moved her hand around her chest, wanting to feel her beating heart.  But then, with the innocence and curiosity that only a child can possess, she asked the really tough question, "Stop beating, Daddy?"

As Rick relayed the story to me, I could see the huge tears in his eyes.  

"How do I answer that?" he asked me. With a question that could be answered in so many ways with religious ties and confirmations, there's the lurking and obvious answer that no parent ever wants to discuss with their child and that's the idea that life here on earth doesn't go on forever.

Of course, GG is too young to delve into a discussion so deep and abstract, but who knew the questions would start coming so early.  Rick clearly wasn't ready and I know I'm not.  

The older our children get, the tougher the questions...

How will we answer these?  I have no idea, to be honest.  The only thing I know to do is pray and trust that God will guide Rick and me.  I need Him to help us and lead our hearts so we know what to say.

I guess you're wondering how Rick answered Gabriella.  Well, he didn't.  He ignored the question and moved on...

Maybe it was right.  Maybe he missed an opportunity.  I really don't know.

What I do know is that, for now, the little girl in the picture below thinks that she is going to live forever. 

And she will.  

And if you take a moment and feel the beating of your own heart, I hope that you know you can, too.

Live forever, that is.

I feel God in the quiet beating of my heart.

I am thankful.

Love,

Mary