Would Jesus Wake me up?

In typical five-year-old fashion, Agent 002 asks a gazillion questions. Mr warillever and I attempt to answer as fully as possible. What better way to learn than about those things that pique your interest?

His questions cover a lot of ground, and as a result he now understands our heating system from top to bottom ("The oil makes a small fire and then the water gets very very very hot and then it goes up a pipe and in the radiator and then my room makes it cold and it goes BANG BANG and then it goes down a pipe to get hot again.") and he can describe the entire digestive process ("I chew with my teeth and break the food apart, and then it goes down a huge pipe -- the sophogus -- then it goes to my stomach and then to my testines and then I poop and then it goes in the septic truck.").

A few months ago, his topic-of-interest was death. Looking at family pictures, he asked about Grandpa. Without skipping a beat, mr warillever told him that Grandpa is dead, and that we hope that he is in heaven.

Then my brother's dog died. My father, in not-so-21st- century style, told the kids that the dog was sleeping, and would be gone for a long time. Agent 004 (remember, she is two years old) said, "you mean, he's dead?" Grampy explained that the dog was very old and very sick, and had, in fact died.

The dog's death (followed quickly by the death of another beloved dog) led to more mealtime conversations about death, heaven, and Jesus. We determined that dogs, who lack a God-given soul, do not go to heaven, but that people do.* If you love Jesus, and try really hard to do good things, you will be with Jesus when you die.

But then we get back to Grampy's "sleeping" explanation. Agent 002 asked me if he would die when he went to bed. I reassured him that this was highly unlikely. Then he wanted to know if he would go to sleep when he died. I explained that it is kind of like sleeping, only it is forever. He looked down, pondering the situation, and then asked, "Will Jesus wake me up when I die?"

I sure hope so, kiddo.

*For more discussion of dogs in heaven, Ask Sr Mary Martha has a great post.