Last night I'm putting my 4-year old son to bed and after he said his prayers, I asked him if he knew what God looked like and he said "Yes!" I said, well tell me! He said he has a long beard (we know NO ONE with a beard!) and said God's belly is "all-colored in...kind of like a rainbow, all different colors" and that he wears a long orange shirt to his ankles (he kept pointing to his ankles!). Then he said, he's holding something, "it's like a pogo-stick, but he only holds it with one hand" (Ummm....a staff????) Needless to say, I was just floored, my children are both baptized but we do not go to church. I truly believe he remembers!!!
Have you ever asked your child this question???
Not specifically.
But children AMAZE me with their insight and creativity all the time!
We should all bu so lucky to see the world with a child's eyes, right?
My boys are 4 and 6 and they LOVE talking about God. The other day, my 4 year old pointed to the sun and said, "God lives there." That is something he came up with all on his own.
I think children can certainly have a close relationship with God in ways that we as adults are often too busy/jaded/hardened to have.
*Gramma G your story gave me chills and I totally believe that!
This is a little off topic, but your story reminded me of this - when my niece was 5 my SIL took her to the National Cathedral. She asked who lived there, and my SIL said "God lives here." My niece lifted her face, looked all around, sniffed, and said "Yeah, smells like God." :)
I have heard stories where children are talking, very young, about remembering God. One was talking to their baby brother in his crib, she was telling him to....basically keep remembering Him because she was starting to forget. I can't remember the exact words....but she had a clear picture of Him too.
It is amazing to me that kids can come through the veil into our world and carry those memories with them. It is truly a blessing to experience these things.
My daughter and I went to a church function when she was 4 and the priest came around with pizza on a platter and offered it to her, well when we got home her big brother asked her what she did while at the event and she told him what she did and then says, "Then God came around with pizza and gave me a piece!" It was so sweet how she said it.
Kids are definitely trippy. Years ago my then 3 yo son and I were driving in a car when he told me he used to be an old man. So I played along and asked him if he was married and he said "yes, but she wasn't very nice to me" Then he adds, "then I died and was in your tummy" Where on earth did that come from?
What is the point to respond with "hmmm" Casey?
I agree that Momma L.
I love that. Reminds me of the book "Heaven is For Real"
If you haven't read it, it's awesome!
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Real-Little-Astounding-Story...
The more children learn about God and his character and who he is the more they will understand whether they know what he 'looks' like or not. I read to our grandsons the other day, age 3, and a book about who made things like trees, flowers, etc. and at the end it said "God did". When we got to the next book on helping others there was a lady and her child taking food to a sick person standing with their back to us. He said, " Grandma, is that God?". They need to learn who God is and then what he looks like is not as important I think. They say such sweet things in the meantime.
Thanks for sharing your story. It brought a smile to my face and a happy tear to my eye.
I've never asked them specifically, but there's been a few instances where they've made offhand comments that just seem too much to be a coincidence. I believe kids are more open to spirituality because they trust everyone and everything. They are pure and innocent.
We don't really pray in our family (except during severe weather) I was raised Catholic and my husband Baptist. I have a major problem with organized religion, but like the idea of faith. My mom wanted me to get my son baptized when he was little, but I always disagreed with this Catholic pratice (my husband tells me Protestants get baptized much older) I mean to believe that a baby needs to clensed of sin? and I am sorry but a baby wouldn't know God from an english muffin. Now my son is getting older (he is almost 3) and we haven't really discussed to much about God yet (I really believe that prayer is a private thing so we don't pray as a family) but the other day I caught my son kneeling on the floor with his head bowed and hands folded, and he was whispering. I really think he was praying. Its not like he could have seen my husband or me do it (since if we pray its usually quietly in bed or in our heads) it really took me by suprise.
My son thinks God looks like a "Big Water Man", but he caught a glimpse of Poseidon in a Greek legends movie I think....
No but my son saw Angels and remembered being with God before he was born. After about the age of your child....... his memories stopped and he no longer "saw" things.
I can't wait to ask my son tonight. Here's another great question to ask. What did you dream about last night?
Three weeks ago I asked my 3yo son ... what did you dream about last night. He replied The Story. What Story? The story of Easter! He's not in daycare and neither my husband nor I had read or even talked about Easter with him yet. Someone told him all about it while he was sleeping.
