Why? Why dad? Dad why? Why?

Two mornings ago I outlawed a word in our family.  I reached the breaking point.  With the two youngest in the kitchen I just blurted out, "You can no longer say "why!"  That word can make my ears start to bleed.  It can make me feel disrespected or untrusted.  It can make me snap like few other words.  There are times when it feels like it's the only word that they say, whether it's the 12 year old or the 4 year old.

Go get your shoes on.  Why?

Do you have your homework ready?  Why?

Time for dinner?  Why?

Why do we have to go to school?

Why is their no church tonight?

Why is this toy broken?

Why?  Why?  Why?

Kids ask questions.  Aside from being smaller than adults, that may be the most defining characteristic that they have - an incessant desire to ask questions.  Some of the questions are so ridiculous too.  My wife has been talking about this one and we get a great laugh out of it.  For example...

Why do I wear socks?

Why did I just say that?

How did I walk in there?

Are you kidding me?!  I'm not sure what to call those questions but they are the unanswerable questions that bother me to no end.  How do I answer those?  Are they even thinking before asking the questions?  Really, you're asking me why you said something?  How on earth would I know?  Am I supposed to answer or are you just talking?  haha.

Kids are great.  They force you to think.

Last night, at small group, the point of our study was the incessant questions that the disciples asked Jesus.  The study pulled out all the places where the disciples were asking Jesus everything.  It seemed so much like mornings around our house.  Mindy and I laughed out loud at the point the speaker was making.  He said all the disciples asked question after question after question about Jesus.  I had never thought of that.  It's totally true though.

Jesus, why?

Jesus, why do people suffer?

Jesus, where are you going?

Jesus, when are you going to take power?

Jesus, why are you going that way?

Jesus, why are you eating?

Jesus, why aren't you eating?

Jesus, why are you sleeping?  (You know your kid has asked you this!)

Jesus, how are we going to do this?

Jesus, why did you say that?

Jesus....

He kept answering the questions.  I wonder if He got as sick of it as I do as a parent.

When Jesus told his close friends that He was leaving they asked him questions.  He told them that He was going to leave and then He was going to come back.  He said that they would have a time of grief when He was gone, but then joy when He came back.  Then He said "In that day you will no longer ask me anything."  I'm sure they then said, "why?"

In that day you will no longer ask me anything.  Hmm.

We have a lot of questions for Jesus.  I do.  Why is their suffering in the world?  Why don't some couples get to have babies?  Why do some mean people prosper and some amazing people suffer?  Why is their so much hate in our world?  Why do kids get sick?  Why do some people get great health care and some die of preventable stuff?

Jesus says that one day He will come back and their will be no more questions.  I'm excited for that day.  I don't want to ask any more questions.  I don't need all the answers.  I have found out that I need to know the "why" less and less as a relationship grows.  I ask my wife "why" a whole lot less than I used to.  I know her motivation is always out of love for me.  If I doubt, I fall back on our 15 years of experience and trust her.  I would like a relationship of mutual love and trust, like I have with my wife, with the Creator of all life and the one who holds the earth and all eternity in His hands.  I can have that if I have trust in Him.  I can still ask questions, but I don't hang on the answers because I trust that He loves me and He loves all of us.

Also, I'm glad my kids ask me questions because it means that they are smart and growing and trust me to be able to answer.  I will continue to answer their questions and I will continue to get annoyed by the same questions.  I will continue to ask God questions and I will look forward to the day when I no longer have to ask any questions.


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