Eavesdropping

I’m that kind of mother. The type that listens in on her kids. And I hear good things. This afternoon Mark and his friend Gavin were playing in Mark’s room. I was in the next room, on the computer, listening to their conversation.

First I have to say something about Mark and Gavin. They are quite a pair. They are rough and tumble. When I can’t find Mark after church (and he’s not in the tree he likes to climb in as soon as he escapes primary), I look for Gavin. They yell at each other and argue and spend as much time as possible together and would defend each other to the death. Once when some older boys were chasing them (they may or may not have deserved it), they attacked, wielding croquet mallets from our garage until I intervened. They are usually dirty and making big messes and pretty much having a marvelous time.

Today, incongruously, they were having sort of a theological discussion. Gavin (who’s older and therefore the authority) was informing Mark that G-o-d was a bad word. Mark insisted that it was not. He said, “How could it be? It’s His name?”

Gavin said, “It is and you’d better not say it.”

Mark said, “Well in our family it is not a bad word.”

Gavin said, “I won’t say it. Even if it isn’t a rule here. Are you SURE that’s your rule?”

“Yes,” Mark stubbornly insisted.

Gavin said, “I’m going to find Braeden.”. As Gavin zipped down the stairs to find him, I told him Braeden wasn’t home. I asked if I could help him. Gavin paused and said, “Is Emma here?” She was also outside.

Right then, Braeden came in the house. Gavin ran down to him and I heard this:

Gavin: Is G-o-d a bad word in your family?

Braeden (sounding sort of horrified): Yes!

I called Gavin upstairs and also called to Mark. I said, “Can I explain this to you?” I smiled at these two wild boys with their earnest dilemma. They are the trial of their primary teachers (I know because I was Gavin’s and I’ve talked to Mark’s) but they do know things and I think would defend their little growing testimonies as much as they would defend each other. I explained to them the difference between talking about God in a respectful way or in a way that IS a bad word…in vain. They both looked at me carefully, trying to digest that. I said, “So you are both right.” Slow smiles spread on their faces and they went back into the room to argue about who was playing with which toy.