God is invisible. And visible.

by Lydia Floren

Church was a regular part of our family life as the kids were growing up. For a preschooler, the whole church and God thing could be a little confusing. One Sunday my 4-year-old son, Samuel, helped me to see how hard it could be to understand what was going on. We stayed after service for a special luncheon, and I had just settled Samuel into his seat. As I sat down beside him, I heard him say something softly, almost to himself. I leaned over and asked,

“What did you say, sweetie?”

He looked up at me solemnly with those impossible blue eyes.

“I said, ‘I figured out him.’”

“You figured out him?”

“Yes. I figured out him.”

“Who did you figure out?”

“God.”

“God?”

“Yes, God.”

“What did you figure out?”

Samuel leaned toward me and lowered his voice.

“He’s invisible.”

[pause]

“Yes, honey, I guess He is.”

As we began eating, I started to smile. I was imagining how a 4 year old concrete thinker might attempt to grasp the abstract concept of faith. Knowing Samuel, his brain was a-churning, trying to connect the dots the best he could.

Hmmmmmm…..we talk to God every day before bedtime. We go to his house every week, and while we are there everyone is talking about him, and talking to him. But where IS he? I’VE never seen him……Ooooh, I get it. He must be invisible, like my invisible friend Max! That has to be it. Whew. I figured out him. He’s invisible.