swines and theology (naturally!)...

Tucking Lauren into bed tonight, she asked for me to pray instead of her...because she "forgot the name of that flu that's bad." So, I said a prayer for all the people with Swine Flu.

Then (whammo!), she asks :: "Did God put that flu here on earth...or was it Satan?"

I, again, realized I should've gone to seminary as a prerequisite to parenthood. I did my best to answer saying that God could've stopped it, but He chose not to because He doesn't want to make everything perfect without us doing anything at all...we wouldn't be the smart people He created if He did everything for us. I gave a brief synopsis of free-will...I can't even be sure it applies, but it's always worth interjecting "we have the ability to choose right and wrong" in any conversation with an almost seven year old.

She smiled and once again declared she would be a doctor someday and help all the people with "whatever the name is of that flu". (I'm sure they'll have a terminology class at med school for all those little pesky details)