Kai-versations: Just another day in my life...

Here's what happens when you teach your children to pray. They want to pray about everything. They ask God LOTS of questions and have the most random (and adorable) conversations with Him. And since you teach your kids that God is a friend who loves them, they don't see any reason why they can't talk to Him all the time. You know, just like any other friend. And so they do. Which may or may not lead to some crazy moments in public.

Case in point:

The other day while shopping for Thomas' birthday present at the local electronics store, Kai looked at me and asked:

"Hey, Mom? How are grocery carts made?"

Since I don't have a degree in engineering, I couldn't answer this question. The nice gentleman standing beside us glanced over and gave me a sympathetic smile. I stumbled through an explanation that I didn't know and we'd have to look it up when we got home. Drama avoided. Or so I thought.

But, Kai had other ideas.

"I know!" she exclaimed "Let's ask God how they're made. He'll know."

(By the way, why do my children have to make embarrassing requests at FULL VOLUME when we're in public?)

"Great idea, Kai," I said. "You can do that when we get home."

"No, Mom. You do it. Now. Ask God how grocery carts are made."

I tried to explain that I was picking out a gift for her Dad and would do it later. What I really wanted to say is that it is not really "socially acceptable" to have conversations with God about grocery cart engineering in the aisle of an electronics store. But, I didn't go into it. Instead, I looked around (noting the proximity of the man who had been eavesdropping earlier) and quietly and as discreetly as possible said,

"Um...God? How are grocery carts made?"

Kai impatiently (and loudly) asked, "What did He say Mom? Did God tell you how grocery carts are made?"

Having heard my question for God uttered out loud, the man standing near us changed his expression from a sympathetic smile to an amused and slightly alarmed stare. But, I quietly explained to Kai that God told me He'd explain it to me later. Which, on a side note, made me worried that I'd get struck by lightning for lying to my daughter about what God had "told" me.

But, Kai yelled excitedly,

"Wait, Mom! I think God is telling me right now in my ear!"

Both I and the fellow shopper near us would have dropped dead from shock had she actually then been able to give an explanation of what God "told" her. But, luckily, she just smiled about what God was telling her and never asked again about the origins of grocery carts.

And, the man beside us, got to walk away thinking he'd had the chance to shop beside real life religious fanatics. I'm sure that story got told to someone at the dinner table that night...