Grover, Elmo, and Jesus…

Almost every morning, I have the privilege of going downstairs into my daughter’s room after she wakes up so that we can start our day. The girl loves books. I love the girl. And so we read. This morning when I went to pick her up she didn’t want a book, she didn’t want two books, she wanted “Alllll books.” On the table next to her bed sat probably 7-8 books that we have read together over the last few days. I was ready to read them to her, but today she said “No, daddy. Me read.”

This would have been okay…but she picked one of my favorites : “Another Monster At the End Of the Book.” Doesn’t she know how good my Grover voice is?

I sit there and I listen to her read.

Page one: “Elmo…Elmo…Elmo…No.”

Page two: “Elmo…Elmo…Elmo…No.”

I mean yes she is adorable, but she’s missing the plot! She’s missing the intricacies. If only she’d let me read it she’d REALLY understand what was happening.

But she turned each page. She laughed. She got some of the words right.

Being married to an elementary teacher, I’ve been taught that what she is doing is actually really good. She’s not reading, but she’s hitting developmental milestones. Someday, she’ll see that book as no challenge at all. But this is where she starts.

Sitting there this morning I started thinking about reading the Bible. I started thinking about all of the questions I have, things I used to believe that I no longer believe, deeper understandings I have, and more questions that come as a result of that reading.

I wondered if for a moment that the way I feel about watching Crosley read is the same way that God must feel looking down on me as I read and study. Sometimes I get things right. Sometimes I make mistakes that make him laugh.

But he’s encouraged because it is as much about the process as it is the end result.

There is a quote from Rich Mullins that says “We were given the Scriptures to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing.”

I know that might not sit well with some of you. Please here me out when I say I believe that there is absolute truth, there are things about the Christian faith that I feel we need to believe.

I just also happen to believe that we are trying to figure these things out together. I don’t believe God looks at us in disappointment when we get things wrong (and I believe there are definitely times when we are wrong.).

Instead, I believe God is happy that we are trying. God is happy that we want a deeper relationship and that we want to do better. And for that, I am thankful.