Lent with Claire: car conversations

One of the hopes and prayers I had for Claire during this Lenten season was that the things we're doing and talking about with her would "click" and sink in. Working through the Resurrection Eggs, memorizing Psalm 51, and doing a weekly craft or activity are all in place to help us talk with her about the gospel. I don't know if these things, particularly, are prompting her, but oh my goodness is she asking questions and thinking. 

We've been attending the Wednesday night Lenten services at church, and Claire has been requesting to go into "big church" with us. I know she's not understanding the full meaning of the devotions, but she's listening (while coloring and sticker-ing). She'll catch certain phrases that are said and ask about it. Last week, Allen was referring to the details of the fall and the curse, mentioning Adam and Eve. Claire asked (in a very loud whisper) if we were talking about Adam and Eve and the garden and the snake? She later heard him say the word "ash" and asked if we were talking about ashes/would we be getting more ashes on our heads. She's definitely listening.

On the ride home, she hit us with some direct, insightful questions. Questions like why can't I have the bread and juice when we go to the front of the church? Why did Jesus have to bleed? Did it hurt? Why did he die? Why do people die? When will we come back after we die? Why did they put Jesus in the cave with the rock in front? Could Jesus see in the dark while He was in the cave? Who moved the rock away from the cave?

Y'all. It takes us 8 minutes to get home from church.

Brad and I worked very hard to answer her as simply and yet as thoroughly as we could. It was a stretching experience to put such difficult concepts into language and imagery that a 4-year-old could understand. It was definitely a good thing for me to process my thoughts through that filter and to be stretched to think well. I'm sure we'll be talking about these things many times over the next few weeks as she continues to mulls things over.

She's making progress with her scripture passage, too, learning new vocabulary along the way (i.e. blot, iniquity, transgressions). We're learning each verse with hand motions so that we can help prompt her when she gets stuck. Maybe I'll try to video it soon. She's doing a great job...when she's not being silly. Bedtime brings out the silly in FULL FORCE.

The Resurrection Eggs are also going very well. She asks to talk about them at every meal (although we pretty much only do them at dinner), and she is remembering the meanings and connections so well. The problem is that she wants to play with the eggs in between meals. We've compromised by allowing her to (me) and being ok with (her) shaking them. Bless.

We're actually still working on last week's craft. It's not a difficult one, but it takes a little bit of time, and we've been interrupted quite a lot. Hopefully, it will get done this week, but if not, we'll just keep working on it. I am not forcing crafts; I do not have the energy for that, guys.

Are any of y'all doing any Lent-specific activities? Or, could any of you think of a better solution that Resurrection Egg-shaking? The thorns on our crown of thorns item have been falling off systematically...