I had driven out to my best friends house. It was late on a Friday, maybe 9:30. Siri (6) had fallen asleep in the car. Gannon (10) went inside to clean his friends room and play video games. Annika, however, wanted her mom. I did not want to hold Annika. I wanted to sit, quietly, and talk with my friend about life. Annika would have none of it. She is a threenager if there has ever been one. She is strong willed, smart, and sassy. This works both for and against me. Most of the time, she can be reasoned with. She makes smart choices most of the time, but sometimes (and ONLY sometimes) she out-logics me.
My best friend lives out in the country. On a farm. With animals. They make funny sounds sometimes. So she and I were sitting outside, and Annika was in my lap. I was desperately trying to get her to go inside to play a game, go to the potty, get a drink....SOMETHING to give me a moments rest. I asked her why she didn't want to go inside. "It's dark. I'm scared." I "Christian mom-ed her. "Sweetie, it's ok. Jesus is with you. You're safe." The house is MAYBE 200 feet from where we were sitting. There were lights on. She was being obstinate.
Suddenly, she took a sharp breath in, jumped a little, and clutched her chest.
"Annika! Are you ok? What's the matter?"
She did it again.
"Annika, WHAT is going on?"
"Jesus keeps scarring me!"
My friend and I looked at each other. We tried not to laugh.
My friend asked "Annika, where is Jesus?"
"In my HEART!" came the retort with a sideways look that clearly meant "DUH!"
"But why is he scarry?"
In the most precious way possible, Annika tilted her head to the side, her curls framing her sweet little face. She put both of her hands out to emphasize her explanation...
"Well. SOMETIMES, Jesus puts a sheet over him. That's because He's being the Holy Ghost.
Then He scares me!"
*repeat action of sharp breath, hand over heart, little jump*
