(c) 2004 Joanne Brokaw All Rights Reserved

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This Life - March 2004

Nearing 40 and Almost Dead

By Joanne Brokaw

(c) 2004 Joanne Brokaw All rights reserved

In Sunday School recently, four-year old Spencer finished telling me about his upcoming birthday, and then asked how old I would be on my next birthday.

How high can this kid count? I thought, and answered "You're four now, right?" He nodded. "Add a zero after that, and that's how old I'll be."

He thought for a minute and then said matter-of-factly, "You're going to be 40? You're almost dead, you know?"

Well, I suppose when you put it that way ...

I smiled and explained that I didn’t plan on dying for a long time, to which Spencer replied, "But that would be a good thing if you died, right? Because then you would get to see God."

He had me there. How do you explain to a child that while you want to go to heaven so you can see God, you’re not quite ready to do it today? Or tomorrow or even next week?

As I was thinking of some profoundly Sunday School-teacher-like response, Spencer added sadly, "I'll see you in heaven, but you won't know me because I won't look the same."

OK, this one I could handle. "Spencer, the Bible tells us that in heaven, none of us will look the same," I explained, "but it also says that we will all know each other. So, no matter when you get there, I'll recognize you in heaven."

He tilted his head and smiled, and said, "Well, that’s good, because I'll have a moustache by then."

(c) 2004 Joanne Brokaw All rights reserved. No portion can be reprinted without the author’s permission.

You’ve reached a This Life ARCHIVE page. For reprint information, visit www.joannebrokaw.com