God Sits

Deanna's got the throw-up's. She's feeling so-o-o-o-o bad!! Yesterday afternoon, I walked into the kitchen, and she was sitting at the table holding a throw-up bucket over her nose.

"I don't feel well, Mama. I think I'm going to throw up."

Gee, I'm not sure I would have picked up on those clues without her telling me.

"I can see that, baby. I'm sorry. But, if you need to throw up, don't hold it back. You'll probably feel much better once you get your stomach cleaned out," I responded, thinking about the wonderful French Toast and thick-sliced bacon breakfast I had made for the children and Deanna's spend-the-night guest. Poor Theresa. If she had known that as soon as she left, Deanna was going to start throwing up, I'm not sure she would have opted to spend the night. I just hope it wasn't something she ate and everyone is going to start throwing up.

"Mama, I hate throwing up." The girl's just like me. She can handle colds, sinus problems, ear infections, even pneumonia with barely a whimper, but when the stomach feels sour, her whole disposition changes. At the first cramp or feeling of queasiness, she goes to mush.

"I know, honey, believe me. I understand."

Daelyn stood in the kitchen, silently listening to this conversation. "Mama," he now interjected, "Sissy said a bad thing."

"She did? What did she say, son?" I prompted, thinking back over the conversation and trying to identify any family "curse words" she might have used, such as dumb or stupid.

"She said 'hate'," Daelyn responded.

"Well, it's wrong to say 'hate' when you're talking about a person, son, but it's okay to 'hate' throwing up."

"So, there are some things we can 'hate' and that's okay?" he repeated, unable to believe his ears.

"Yes, son, we just need to be careful to never say we hate a person. That's unkind and God doesn't like it."

"What about Satan? Is it okay to hate the devil?" he explored further.

"Yes, son, it's okay to hate the devil, because he's God's enemy. We SHOULD hate the devil."

"What about God? Does He hate the devil?"

"I don't know, Daelyn. You're getting too theological for me."

"God sits on a throne in Heaven, right, Mama."

"Right, son."

"And Jesus stands behind Him?" He loves to ask questions about Theology. Maybe, someday, he'll be a preacher like his Grandpa.

"No, Daelyn. God sits on his throne and Jesus sits at the right hand of God."

"God sits on his throne and Jesus sits next to him?" he asked again, making sure he clearly understood this point.

"Yes, son. That's what the Bible says."

"I bet, when they get tired of sitting, they stand up."

Somehow, it never occurred to me that God would tire of sitting. I guess, to a 3-yr. old who can't sit for longer that 2 minutes, it's unfathomable that, for eternity, God sits on His throne. Good question for the Bible Scholars.