I recently took an overnight canoe trip with the boys on the Au Sable River, my favorite Michigan River. The only thing more memorable than the scenery, were the conversations I shared with my boys and they shared with each other. Here are a couple of exchanges I recorded in my mind.
Context provided in parenthesis when necessary.
Connor: (on the drive home) Dad, do you know what my favorite part was on our trip? All of the parts. Because I like the camping and the canoeing and the fire.
Luke: (attempting to conquer his fear/excitement of bears, and develop a contingency plan should we happen upon one) Are there bears in these woods?
Dad: There may be.
Luke: What kind of bears, black bears or grizzly bears?
Dad: Black bears.
Luke: Can the canoe go faster than the bears?
Dad: I don’t think so.
Luke: Well, can bears swim without floaties?
Luke: Dad, I need to go to the bathroom, and its poo-poo.
Dad: Okay, lets go. (Dad starts gathering larger sturdy leaves)
Luke: What are those leaves for?
Dad: You’ll see. (We walk further away where dad starts kick-digging a hole)
Luke: What are you digging a hole for?
Dad: You have to go in there.
Luke: Cooooool!
Luke’s Emerging Theology of God’s Providence
Luke is apparently developing a sense of God’s calling in his life. I overheard a conversation with Luke and Luba, a 9-year-old girl next door that went like this:
Luba: “So when are you guys moving?”
Luke: “In November. In two months.”
Luba: “Do you want to move to Africa.”
Luke: “No.”
Luba: “Then why are you going?”
Luke: “Because God told us to.”
Keep in mind that this has not been our explanation to Luke although we do tell him that we are going to Uganda to tell people about God. We’ve had other people tell us that Luke gave them the same explanation he gave Luba when asked whether he is excited to be moving to Africa. Luke is actually quite excited about our move to Africa for at least two reasons: 1. He gets a new playset, 2. So his cousins can come visit him to see the animals.
Living Room 
