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| Source: thesun.co.uk |
There is ONE activity that overshadows almost every other thing that I do in my day-to-day life as a parent and a homeschooling mom:
Answering questions.
As any parent, or grandparent, will tell you, kids ask a TON of questions. In addition to stereotypical questions like why is the sky blue?, I've fielded such questions as why did God put the tree [of the Knowledge of Good and Evil] in the garden in the first place...especially in the CENTER of the garden? Hmmm. Now that is a good one!
Oftentimes, instead of asking why something is a certain way, they will ask the inverse: what would happen if something weren't a certain way. A vivid example of this was when I was crossing the street with my toddler-aged son: "Hold my hand to cross the street," I firmly instructed him. Instead of asking me why?, he sincerely asked: "What would happen if I don't hold your hand, Mama?"
Mercy.
Even now, at ages ten, nine, and six, my kids still ask me an exorbitant amount of questions. These range from what's for dinner? to what is deja vu? to do you think airplanes can fly without a tail? (asked to me while I type this blog post!). Sometimes they are genuinely curious. Other times, they already know the answer and are delighted to test me or set me straight on something. In truth, it can be exhausting, especially for an introverted mama like myself. (And why do my kids always choose the time when I am on the telephone to barrage me with questions?!) But it can also be exhilarating as we ask each other questions, seek to find answers together, and marvel in awe and wonder at the world around us and at our Creator God.
Turns out that Jesus also asked a lot of questions. In fact, if you look in the four gospel accounts, you'll discover that Jesus answers very few questions outright. His preferred method was to answer a question with another question. Check it out for yourself! This was (and still is) typical of rabbinical teaching in Judaism. In fact, this is a very effective way for us, as believers, to share our faith with a questioning world. (If you'd like to learn more about this form of evangelism, I'd *highly* recommend the book Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People's Hearts the Way Jesus Did by Randy Newman.)
Like our children, Jesus loves to ask questions to us as we go about our day through His Word. Some of my most profound times in the Word have been wrestling over questions that are spoken directly to our hearts--questions like Do you love me? and Who do YOU say that I am? or What is truth? The questions raised in the Bible often cut deep and are truly transformative...if we are obedient to take the time to genuinely consider them and allow ourselves to wrestle with them.
Now the peculiar thing about children asking questions is that beyond a certain age, the amount of questions children ask sharply declines.
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| Source: amorebeautifulquestion.com |
I find myself wondering: Why aren't typical school-aged kids asking questions?
Perhaps they are bored. Perhaps they feel shut down, stupid, self-conscious. There is a lot of research (and interesting TED talks) out there about this disturbing trend. Here is just one excellent (and mercifully short!) online article that explores this issue. This article speaks to the fact that there truly are good questions out there, and that questioning leads to digging deeper, learning more, and ultimately enhances creativity and innovation.
Sooooo the next time you feel exhausted or irritated by your child's questioning, consider all the good that it represents (a thinking, growing mind) and all the good it can lead to (all those creative and innovative things that make life more wonderful). And the next time you feel questions or doubts raising up in your mind about matters of faith, don't be afraid of them--go explore and dig deeper into God's Word and church history. I hope that you have seen I have been faithful to do that many, many times here on my blog. We may never have all the answers, but we know the One who does!
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