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Loving on Cadence and Making Pancakes. Las Vegas. July, 2011.
Talking Theology with Cadence
It is Friday morning, near the end of our week-long, three-generation family vacation. My husband and I occupy a suite adjoining the one shared by my daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons.
Our lodging strategy has worked well. We’ve spent days together as a family of six, visiting amusement parks and swimming pools, sharing sandwiches and memories. Some evenings Rich and I have headed out for an evening for two; other nights, Elaine and Rob have crept out after putting the boys to bed. With both doors open, Rich and I can watch over our sleeping grandbabies from the comfort of our own room.
On this morning, four-year-old Cadence has wandered over to spend the early morning with me. Everyone else still sleeps.
I am at the computer, sipping coffee and savoring the gift of this shining morning, of these precious days together. I tell Cadence that we can’t turn the television on because Papa Rich is sleeping. Snuggling into a chair beside me at the table, he sucks down a tube of Go-Gurt as I transfer funds online.
“Lala,” he says.
“Yes?”
“Look. I am sawing off your hand.” Gently, he draws the flattened plastic yogurt tube across my wrist.
“I will cut it off and then you’ll die.”
Puzzled by his cheery tone, I turn to look at him. He grins.
“Well, if a doctor helped me, I wouldn’t die.”
His mind is on another path, so he ignores my attempt to steer our course in this conversation.
“And then…..you’ll go to HEAVEN!!” His face glows as he makes the announcement.
“Yes, when I die, I’ll go to heaven. You will too, so long as you love Jesus.”
“Oh, Lala, I DO love Jesus!” He throws his little arms around my neck and I hold him tight, tight against my swelling heart.
I hold my breath to see where we’re heading.
“Jesus knows everyone’s name,” Cadence tells me.
“Yes, He does.”
“Even strangers?”
“Yes, even strangers.”
“How does He know the strangers’ names?”
“He knows everyone’s name because He made them—God made them.”
Cadence blinks twice, blue eyes wide. I see that my reference to the Trinity has taken him onto an unknown stretch of the Gospel path. I’m not surprised—the Three in One is hard for me to grasp.
Cadence asks for apple juice, which tells me he’s heard enough for this morning. I pour him a boy-sized serving in a man-sized plastic tumbler, the only suitable cup in our timeshare kitchen.
I return to my online banking and discover that the resort’s mediocre WiFi connection has timed out during our chat.
Suddenly I’m blinking, remembering his trusting arms squeezing me hard as he proclaims his love for Jesus.
He sets down his juice and I sweep him into my arms once again, wanting only to hold on to him, to absorb his innocence and trust, to hold on to this moment.
The banking can wait. My grandson and I are busy imagining heaven together.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 18:1-4 (NASB)
I’m going There and Back Again with Charity Singleton over at Wide Open Spaces. Thanks to my friend Jennifer Lee over at Getting Down With Jesus for inspiring me with her post, “Through a Glass, Darkly.” If you’d like to go There and Back Again, too, click here for Charity’s instructions.
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