Spiritual Conversations With a 3 Year-Old

When I was about to pop with Lily, I was really, REALLY, REEEEAAAALLLYYY fed up with being  pregnant.  I was constantly dizzy, exhausted, in pain, and stretching by the day.  I walked (what seemed to my pregnant mind) about a half-marathon each hot summer day to start labor.  Nothing.  Finally, Ben offered to give me a blessing.  In it he said that Lily hadn't arrived yet because she still needed strengthening and training from the other side for her important mission on earth. 

I decided not to complain about my pregnancy woes after that.



My dad has a theory that babies can't talk right away because the veil isn't as thick for them as it is for us.  Maybe it's true, maybe it's not.  I won't say either way.  But, I have had a lot of very interesting conversations with my children that make me think, "You know things I haven't even taught you yet." 

Tonight I was singing to Lily what she calls the "Indian Princess Song."  I have no idea what it's real name is, but it's a song that Ben's mom would sing to Lily every time she's visited and Lily requests it before every nap and bedtime.  It's about a shy little Indian girl who falls in love with an Indian warrior who dies in battle.  And.... it's left at that.  So Ben's mom would always add her own part about how (thanks to the temple) they were both able to be baptized and sealed together forever.  This has sparked Lily's interest in baptism, marriage, and sealings. 

Oftentimes we'll end up telling her about how she'll get to marry her prince charming in the temple someday.  We talk about how we're sealed as a family and name off all of the relatives we can think of.  We talk about how we'll get to love each other forever and ever.  We talk about what baptism is.

Tonight when I was done singing, we had this conversation:

L: I'm going to get baptized someday.  Not now.  But later.
H: Yep.  You will when you're 8. 
L: And I'm going to choose the right so I can get married in the temple.
H: That's right.  I'll go to the temple with you.  And so will Daddy.  You'll marry a really good guy.
L:  (Looks like she has a secret to share)  Did you know that he's going to come back someday?
H: Who's coming back?
L:  Jesus.  He's going to come back someday. 
H:  You're right.  He's going to come back.  And hopefully you'll get to see Him.  I bet you will. 

Sometimes I think that I should just let them do the teaching.