Deep Thoughts from a Preschooler

I am constantly amazed by the questions that come from my 4 yr old. One day she asked me, "Mommy, is there only one Jesus?" "Yes," I replied, wondering where this might be leading. "Well, how can God be with everyone in the world if He lives in my heart?" Talk about stump the chump. How can one effectively explain omnipresence to a preschooler? I had to confess I really couldn't fully explain how He did it, but it was true nonetheless.

Yesterday, she asked me why the whale had to swallow Jonah. I told her God used the whale to save Jonah from drowning. Pretty straight forward answer and that's all she really wanted to know, but I continued to ponder the scenario as I drove.

I imagine the stomach of a whale (big fish, whatever) to be a pretty unpleasant place - smelly, dark, scary, no internet or iPod, etc. And yet, this was the very place of safety for Jonah. He'd been disobedient and wouldn't be in this situation if he'd just obeyed God; however, God in His infinite mercy used this for good. Jonah was God's captive audience for 3 days and nights. What else was he going to do? Jonah ended up repenting and acquiescing to God's original command (he still had some heart attitude issues, but that's another story).

I guess the lesson I learned from Little Bit's question was that God can use the scary, dark, messy times of our life to keep us safe from something far worse. It's also during these times that we're often more likely to listen to Him as our focus is more finely tuned. Whether I'm in that place because I've been running from God or because He's led me there, God is still there and can use that time to guide my heart back to Him.