Laughing with the Lord #3

Welcome to Laughing with the Lord #3!

Every one of us has had experience with children who bring us to tears with laughter by their innocence and utter lack of guile. Here are some examples of the way I think little ones bring a big smile to God's Face.

1.     Many moons ago when my children were about 6, 7, and 8, a co-worker and I took a trip one evening to the Grand Rapids International Airport in Michigan to view the landing of Air Force One with President Jimmy Carter aboard. I nearly missed the whole event as it was raining so hard and the crowd was so huge I barely noticed the plane landing or the president disembarking. Nevertheless, the next morning I was eager to tell my little ones about Mommy's great presidential experience. I tried to build up the excitement by asking them who they thought I'd seen. Their guesses were typical of kids that age and nowhere near correct. Eventually I took pity on them and said, "I saw ... the ... president ... of the ... United States." Darice, the 7-year-old looked up at me, milk from her bowl of Cheerios dripping from her gaping mouth, and summoning all her presidential expertise, said, "You saw ... George Washington?"

2.     One of my children's favorite quotes was one used in the fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. They were close, but not quite accurate. "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an English muffin."

3.     I was a single mom back then and money was scarce. One of their favorite things to eat, though, was something I could afford (and coincidentally, something they recognized from another children's story). I called it fruit cocktail; they called it fruit cottontail.

4.     This one is embarrassing. You know you have morning breath when your three-year-old grandson sits on your lap early one day, and while you cuddle him, he sniffs the air and says, "I smell poop."

I can see God chuckling at the beauty of His little ones' innocence. How about you?