Surprised by kids
The other day Jake (my three year old) was playing with my wife's mobile phone. Laura and I thought it would be fun for me to go out of the room and call him. We figured the phone actually ringing while he was playing with it would freak him out. :) Fun tricks to play on your son, right?
So I called. And he answered... IN THAI. I guess the joke was on us! He didn't say a word of English until he figured out it was me.
He's becoming very aware now of his ability to speak a language that his mom and dad don't fully understand. He'll pick up a book and ask us to look at it with him and if it's in Thai he'll point that out and say we can just look at the pictures. I actually read Thai better than I can hear it. So I surprised him by being able to sound out the script. But then after I've read the words out loud, he still has to tell me what they mean sometimes! :(.
Sometimes I feel like this as a Christian who grew up with Jesus and God. I try hard to understand what life must be like without God so that I can empathize and communicate with people outside of church. So I learn the language, read books and talk to people. But I find that even after all that - sometimes I just don't get it and need someone who has been there (or is there) to explain to me what it feels like and 'tell me what they mean'.
So I called. And he answered... IN THAI. I guess the joke was on us! He didn't say a word of English until he figured out it was me.
He's becoming very aware now of his ability to speak a language that his mom and dad don't fully understand. He'll pick up a book and ask us to look at it with him and if it's in Thai he'll point that out and say we can just look at the pictures. I actually read Thai better than I can hear it. So I surprised him by being able to sound out the script. But then after I've read the words out loud, he still has to tell me what they mean sometimes! :(.
Sometimes I feel like this as a Christian who grew up with Jesus and God. I try hard to understand what life must be like without God so that I can empathize and communicate with people outside of church. So I learn the language, read books and talk to people. But I find that even after all that - sometimes I just don't get it and need someone who has been there (or is there) to explain to me what it feels like and 'tell me what they mean'.
