Home late after a meeting today, the twins were jumping, crawling, hugging and kung-fu fighting all over me on the couch.
It was unmitigated delight.
Meanwhile, Brielle sat front and center before the TV, watching yet another screening of The Story of Jesus for Children. It fascinates me how absorbing this story is for her.
Right in the middle of the wrestling match on the sofa, with Jesus feeding the five thousand via DVD, Melía looked at me and said:
"I love God a lot."
"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Melía," I gushed, caught off guard by the move from hand-to-hand combat to praise. "God loves to hear it too!"
"And you love God a lot too, Daddy."
"That's right, my Melía." I was glad--relieved, actually--that she noticed. Sometimes I wonder if this reality shines through the fog of my anger, haste and general preoccupation with things mundane.
"Everyone loves God," Ashlyn chimed in.
I could not leave that alone. "Actually, Ashie, not everyone loves God."
"Why?" she asked.
"Some people don't know God and some people don't like God," I told her.
"Only bad people don't love God," said Ashlyn.
"All people are mix of bad and good, Ashlyn. It's just that...."
The tickling, elbowing and head-banging resumed before the discussion went any further. Maybe it was for the best. I often err on the side of too much information.
But even that much had begun what I know is next for my girls. The difference between facts and beliefs, knowledge and faith. The coming to terms with how often black and white end up being gray. And more troubling, the reality of hypocrisy.
It's going to be an exciting ride.
Maybe, if we'd just stick to Melía's opening statement, "I love God a lot," none of the rest would get under our skin so much.
Maybe.
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