Today I am questioning if I should go back to University in order to get degreed in Theology. I’m pondering this all because I ate breakfast at preschool with 4 and 5 year olds.
Everything was going along swimmingly. All of the Littles were sitting at their assigned tables eating their Rice Krispie cereal bowls with milk and cut apples in sauce. An otherwise smiley little boy at one of the tables near mine suddenly appeared distraught. He got up from his table to walk over to me to tell me that his table mate, a little girl, had said something bad. I asked him what she said and he told me that she said, “Heaven is a bad place.”
In order to bring that table back to some kind of breakfast eating solidarity, I walked over to that table to try and make amends between them. The little boy said again that she said “Heaven is a bad place.”
She looked at me sheepishly with shrugged shoulders and said, “I didn’t say that.” Her look solidified that she did indeed say it.
The little boy wasn’t buying it. I watched his countenance change as he quite sternly declared while his eyes were locked on hers, “Yes you did! You said that Heaven is a bad place and it is NOT a bad place. Heaven is a place where there is peace, joy, and good stuff!”
My personal truth at that moment was that I wanted to shout out loud, “PREACH” but I figured that would be highly inappropriate considering I do not know what all of their belief systems are yet.
Just then, another little boy at their table piped up and said, “Yeah. Cuz when I’m gonna get to Heaven – there’s gonna be 4 trophies there waiting for me!”
I wanted so badly to ask him what the trophies would be for because preschoolers have the world’s best answers to everything… but I was concerned that if this conversation went on any longer – they would forget their most important meal of the day and get into a raucous spirituality debate.
Most of all, my own spirit was feeling unsettled about the topic because I wasn’t sure of where these little lives had learned about Heaven.
Did they learn about Heaven simply by attending church on Sunday school?
Were they introduced to the topic of Heaven because they had a close family member or friend pass away?
Perhaps they had a beloved pet that unexpectedly passed on to the Rainbow Bridge?
Knowing that an emotional breakdown from one or many of them could be imminent because I did not know if the topic of Heaven was connected to any kind of traumas in their young lives – I did what any woman in the fifth decade of her life would do.
I changed the subject.
Scratch that. I attempted to change the subject.
Who am I fooling?
I failed at spontaneously changing the subject!
To change the subject – I stated questioningly with an enthusiastic voice,
“Hey! What sound do Rice Krispies make when you first pour milk on them?”
They were all looking at me like I needed to be in a mental ward for how random such a question was in the middle of their breakfast.
It became apparent that they have never heard the Rice Krispie commercial because they had no idea about *Snap,* *Crackle* and *Pop!*
This suddenly made me feel proud that they knew about Heaven before they knew about some worldly cereal commercial.
Cereal dissolves and leaves you where Heaven is a resolve and welcomes you.
I am pretty sure I am working in Heaven, just on earth. I think this because the classroom is filled with “mostly peace (give or take a few disagreements), joy and good stuff.”
All was forgiven before they finished their milk.
At the end of the day – a little girl showed me a four-page art extravaganza piece she independently made using white copy paper, a glue stick, crayons, colored pencils, regular writing pencils, watercolors and pure imagination. She used this one of a kind art installment as her “show and hotel.” It was too cute how she said it so though I’ll correct her someday – for now I’ll let her say it as she thinks
She presented it to me as a gift right after she explained it to the class.
“I made this for you, Miss Jodi. Are you going to hang it up?”
Soon it will be hung centered on my refrigerator with magnets. It’s invaluable to me just like the rest of my priceless, not-ever-for-sale collection.
I’ve decided I don’t need a degree in Theology. Though I’m there to assist them — these Littles are teaching me everything I’m going to need to know!
I’ll re-gift them their show and hotel artworks on their graduation day!
Heaven, God and preschool are purely good!
That’s all I’m gonna say about that!
Can you make me feel better though? If I would have asked you what sound Rice Krispies makes when you pour milk on them you would have known the answer right?
UPDATE from Jodi: “A woman just contacted me to tell me that she found a living niece of the man whose name is in the old Bible I purchased at the Thrift Store. The niece is 80 years old and her son will be contacting me after the weekend in order to reclaim this family heirloom! I love happy endings like this!” Message from Jodi Ingstad 1-29-24 2:28 p.m.
The Blonde on the Prairie is a lover of ND. She is an author and motivational speaker, owner of “Monkey Balls” food truck and Joyologist to the elderly and disabled and, now, also to children wherever she is needed.
