Saturday
night, I had a heated theological argument with a 4-year old.
My daughter, Jennifer, and Henry, her husband, flew in for a 2-day visit this past weekend. Her 2 boys were crazy excited to be at Grammy and Pop-pop’s, so you might guess that bedtime was a bit of a challenge. After Grammy is done reading them stories, it is often left to Pop-Pop (me) to actually get them to sleep.
What worked for 4-year old Jeffrey also works for his brother, Bob, who is almost a year old… I sing to them. Now, I have been described as being a ‘prison singer’, which is defined as: “Being behind a few bars, and having no hope of finding the right key.” My grandsons haven’t developed a critical ear yet, so they don’t complain. That I make up my own words (because I can’t remember the actual lyrics) does not seem to faze them in the least. I’m pretty sure it’s not what I sing, just the fact that I rock them in the big recliner/rocker while I make melodic noises.
So there I was: Bob trying to fight off sleep on my chest, and Jeffrey squirming in his bed next to us. I had just finished singing The House of the Rising Sun (one of their favorite lullabies), when Jeffrey said: “Sing one more song, Pop-pop. Please!”
Hoping to get little Bob to finally drift off in slumber, I started singing: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
To which Jeffrey interjected “NO HE DOESN’T.”
“Sure He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, and then restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
Jeffrey again interrupted me with: “NO HE DOESN’T, POP-POP!”
“Yes, yes He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, perplexed at his insistence. One more time, I restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
Sitting up in bed, Jeffrey instructed his clearly confused grandfather: “Pop-pop, Jesus doesn’t just love YOU, He loves EVERYONE!”
I was stunned! This time, when I restarted the song, I sang: “Jesus loves us, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
And a miracle occurred: Bob had drifted off to sleep! After putting him in his crib, I turned to tuck Jeffrey in one final time. Having fulfilled his commission, he was now sound asleep, too.
I invite you to heed the theological teaching of my grandson… know that Jesus loves US… and experience the complete peace His love brings into our lives.
Your brother in Christ,
Dave
My daughter, Jennifer, and Henry, her husband, flew in for a 2-day visit this past weekend. Her 2 boys were crazy excited to be at Grammy and Pop-pop’s, so you might guess that bedtime was a bit of a challenge. After Grammy is done reading them stories, it is often left to Pop-Pop (me) to actually get them to sleep.
What worked for 4-year old Jeffrey also works for his brother, Bob, who is almost a year old… I sing to them. Now, I have been described as being a ‘prison singer’, which is defined as: “Being behind a few bars, and having no hope of finding the right key.” My grandsons haven’t developed a critical ear yet, so they don’t complain. That I make up my own words (because I can’t remember the actual lyrics) does not seem to faze them in the least. I’m pretty sure it’s not what I sing, just the fact that I rock them in the big recliner/rocker while I make melodic noises.
So there I was: Bob trying to fight off sleep on my chest, and Jeffrey squirming in his bed next to us. I had just finished singing The House of the Rising Sun (one of their favorite lullabies), when Jeffrey said: “Sing one more song, Pop-pop. Please!”
Hoping to get little Bob to finally drift off in slumber, I started singing: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
To which Jeffrey interjected “NO HE DOESN’T.”
“Sure He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, and then restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
Jeffrey again interrupted me with: “NO HE DOESN’T, POP-POP!”
“Yes, yes He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, perplexed at his insistence. One more time, I restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
Sitting up in bed, Jeffrey instructed his clearly confused grandfather: “Pop-pop, Jesus doesn’t just love YOU, He loves EVERYONE!”
I was stunned! This time, when I restarted the song, I sang: “Jesus loves us, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
And a miracle occurred: Bob had drifted off to sleep! After putting him in his crib, I turned to tuck Jeffrey in one final time. Having fulfilled his commission, he was now sound asleep, too.
I invite you to heed the theological teaching of my grandson… know that Jesus loves US… and experience the complete peace His love brings into our lives.
Your brother in Christ,
Dave
Out of the mouth of babes. The Bible says a child shall lead us. I have a theology and biblical study's degree, BBS. Every once and a while some child embarrasses me and I think, "Why did I have to spend 12 years to graduate from Bible?"
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