Communicating with a child

My son was listening to music the other day and asked, "Why are they singing about one box of kitty fur?"  They weren't.  While I realize that songs can be easy to misunderstand, "one box of kitty fur" wasn't particularly close to the original ("I've never seen the many thrills and sights unfurled.") 

With that in mind, it is no wonder I need to repeat myself sometimes.  Twice.  It usually works best to simplify things with one or two basic commands to make things unmistakably clear. Sound familiar?

Very. 

Because I'm a child myself and that is how my Father deals with me.  Only He never grows weary of repeating things when I'm not getting it.  Life's complexities can be too hard to wrap my mind around, so He simplifies things.  Like this week when He gave me two basic things to focus on: Pray in every situation, and Jesus is the answer to everything.

Pray, because He's Jesus

When the children are into each other and I don't know how to handle it He says, 

"Pray, I am Wisdom."

When my heart is restless or I'm uptight about something He says, 

"Pray.  I am Peace."

When I am tempted to be discouraged, He says, 

"Pray.  I am both Hope and Joy."

In the middle of a temptation to sin He says, 

"Pray. I am Power to overcome."

And if I fail to pray and fall into wrong attitudes and sin, He says, 

"Pray.  I am Forgiveness."

"Pray.  Because I'm Jesus."

I need a Parent Who can clearly communicate with me. He knows how to eliminate conversations like we had at the table a few weeks ago:

"Do you think the noise I made sounds like a bear?"

"I don't know.  I didn't hear you."

"Oh.  I said, 'Do you think the noise I made sounds like a bear?"

"And I said I didn't hear you."

"Oh.  DO YOU THINK THE NOISE I MADE SOUNDS LIKE A BEAR??!!"

The parents are laughing.  "I meant that I didn't hear the bear noise."

"Oh."

Communication.  I'll get it right someday because I can pray.  He is both the perfect Communicator and Teacher.