Cade and I Discuss the Merits of an Invisible God Who Often Doesn’t Seem to be Listening
Awesome photo taken by http://jamiebg.blogspot.com/
“Hey, Dad, how come hard things happen in life?”
I stared into the rear view mirror, peering through the darkness to catch a glimpse of my 8-year-old son in the back seat of the minivan. After the meal at Friendly’s, I felt stuffed. Heat rushed from the dashboard, trying to put me to sleep. My recent back pains had even died down a bit now that I was sitting in the van. We were only waiting for Maile and the girls to come out with our takeaway ice cream, and then we’d be good to go.
“What do you mean by hard things?” That’s called a stalling tactic. Read more 
News Bulletin Regarding the Recent Stink Bug Attack in South America
Bath time at our house is like bath time at the zoo. The boys take one bathroom, the girls take the other, and by the time everything is said and done you would think a tidal wave of suds had washed through the house. Seven-year-old Cade gets in the shower while two-year-old Sammy screams in the bath (not a big fan of getting clean). Lucy and Abra play peacefully in the other bathroom.
A few days ago I walked into the bathroom just after Cade had gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed.
“Dad,” he said, “there’s a stink bug!”
Read more
Poisonous Trees, Poisonous Apples and Heaven On Earth
The other day Cade and I were sitting in the living room. You never know what this kid is thinking about, or what he might say next.
Out of no where he turned to me with a concerned look on his face, as if a troublesome thought was stuck in his little head. Usually this means some apparent paradox is trying to work its way to resolution.
“What’s wrong, buddy?” I asked.
“Dad,” he asked slowly. “Why did God make that poisonous tree with the poisonous apples so that everybody would get hurt and scared?”
I think any parent likes to see their child connecting the dots, but there was something about this question that made me want to sigh, to pull him up into my lap and rock him to sleep.
“That’s a good question,” I said. “Why do you think he made it?”
Animals That Eat People
My son Cade asks a lot of questions.
Why did God make animals that eat people?
Why does my cousin’s scooter have three wheels?
Did the British believe in God? Then why did the colonists try to kill them?
Why did God give them a baby when they’re not even married yet?
What’s real about Paul Revere?
Are there scooters that have four wheels?
How fast is Superman?
Once our chickens arrive, will they peck us?
I say, “I don’t know” an average of 17 times a day, and that’s on weekdays, when I’m in my office most of the time. Is this the childlike faith that Jesus said you must have or you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
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“When a child is born, friends get married, a parent dies, people revolt, or a nation starves, it’s not enough just to know about these things and to celebrate, grieve, or respond as best we can. We have to keep asking ourselves: ‘What does it all mean? What is God trying to tell us? How are we called to live in the midst of all this?’ Without such questions our lives become numb and flat.”
“But are there answers? There are, but we will never find them unless we are willing to live the questions first and trust that, as Rilke says, we will, without even noticing it, grow into the answer.”
- Henri Nouwen, Here and Now
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Today I want to thank all of you that read this blog on a regular basis and put up with all of my questions. You are helping me to grow into the answers.
Stuff Cade Says #5
Cade is my 7 year-old son. He says some funny stuff. There was the time he suggested I breastfeed our baby, or the time he explained to me why God made clothes.
Just before we left on a trip to see Maile’s family, one of our daughters asked if Maile’s brother Ryan still had a dog.
Maile: To Auntie Kim and Uncle Ryan’s house.
Lucy: Do they have a dog?
Cade: No, their dog died.
(Then Cade turns to Maile with arms outstretched, a sudden and horrible realization spreading across his face).
…Cade: Why are ALL THE DOGS DYING?
