Something to think about...

March 20, 2010

Dearest Clara and Sonora,

There I was, frantically trying to iron your dresses thirty minutes before church was to start and you were both watching me, patiently waiting.  I had procrastinated, once again, and now here we were scrambling to make it out the door to church on time.  As I was ironing Clara asked me, “If a human ironed their skin would it turn flat like our clothes? "  

I smiled and responded, “No, an iron would burn their skin.” 

Her curiosity peaked, she then said, “Oh.  Ouch.  What would it look like?” 

I let out a little sigh because I was gearing up for a chat that I didn’t have the time or attention for.  Knowing Clara wanted an answer and trying to think of the easiest explanation that would satisfy her curiosity and get her out of my hair I said, “Well, it would take their skin off and there would be blood and tissue underneath.”  I now held my breath, hoping the conversation was over so I could concentrate on the task at hand.

She cocked her head to the side in trademark Clara style,  “As much blood as when Jesus suffered for our sins?”

Ashamed I was trying to rush through this conversation to have it over with, I slowly set down the iron. “No sweetie, not that much blood.  No one will ever bleed as much as Jesus did when He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane.”

This whole time Nora had been standing to the side, watching me iron and listening to our conversation.  She then chimed in with her three year old innocence, “What happened to Jesus in the Garden?  Did someone iron him?” 

As I was later relaying this story to my mom she said to me, “Yes, someone did iron his skin.  We all did.  Every time we do something wrong we are hurting him.” Hmm, something to think about.

With love, mama