How Do You Spell H?

Parker declared to me the other day, “Dad, I think I know how you spell ‘H’!" I was curious about my son’s great epiphany, so I said, “Oh yeah? How?” With a good deal of pride and satisfaction on his face, Parker said, “A-C-H.”

I guess if you use a long ‘a’ sound, then phonetically that makes some sense. I hated to crush his sense of accomplishment, but I had to explain to him that you don’t spell letters. Letters are just letters. (Although I wonder how one would spell “W.” – Is it “dubbleyoo”?)

“But why don’t you spell it “A-C-H?” Parker is very inquisitive.

“I don’t know, man. It’s just “H.” What great words of wisdom from a dad.

Here’s where things started to get a little spiritual for me. I’ve started wondering about how many questions over the next 20 years my son is going to ask me for which I have no good or easy answers.

• “Why is the sky blue?”
• “What happened to dinosaurs?"
• “What does heaven look like?”
• “Why are girls so mean?"
• “What should I be when I grow up?”
• “How do I know what God wants me to do about _____?”
• “How do I know what college to go to?”
• “How do I know if this is the girl I’m supposed to marry?”

I don’t like the idea of shrugging my shoulders and saying “I don’t know” (or “go ask your mom”). But I suppose it is good for kids to get used to the idea that some questions just don’t have easy answers. That’s life. And the older I get, the more I distrust anyone dispensing easy answers.

Questions with no easy answers keep us on our toes. They encourage us to persist in our pursuit of truth and God. They promote our faith. Unanswered questions point to the One who will someday answer them all.

I have my own list of unanswered questions and I’m looking forward to hearing from my Creator about them. Some are silly, some are serious. But they all keep me in anticipation of meeting the author of all truth. Here’s a sample from my growing list:

• Did Adam have a belly button?
• What do you think of U2?
• What did the tower of Babel look like?
• What in the world happened to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4?
• Whatever Jesus wrote on the ground in John 8:6-9 sure spooked the accusers of the adulterous woman. What was it?
• How should I understand Revelation 2:17? Do I really have a name that is known only between you and me? What is it? How did you choose it?
• How should I have done counseling with my clients?
• Do people choose to accept your gift of salvation or do you choose them? If it is both, exactly how does that work?
• Why should I have to persist in prayer? If I am earnest the first time I ask and you hear me the first time, why is repetition necessary? Doesn’t that make answers to prayer dependent on me instead of you?

Don’t spoil my anticipation with your own answers right now, if you have any. I’m sure some of my questions have good answers – that’s what keeps me studying. This posting is instead about questions. And I’m especially interested in hearing your questions for God someday, too. Maybe they will encourage us all in our anticipation.