Cannot hear Jesus

[emom]

The other day I was praying with my 4 year old daughter. She didn’t seem to want to pray so I was explaining how important it was - it was talking to Jesus. She said that Jesus wasn’t real and I asked her why. She said because she couldn’t hear him. So I tried to explain that she will but she just kept on telling me that she couldn’t hear him so he wasn’t real. This really bothered me, but trying to rationalize with a 4 year old is like talking to a brick.

It doesn’t seem like this is really effecting her belief in Jesus and is still is showing that she loves him. Should I worry at this point or just let it go? Whenever I get a chance and catch her doing something good, I tell her that Jesus was talking to her and that’s why she did it. Am I just being too pushy now?

 

[Della]

I don’t think you have anything to worry about at this point. It sounds like you have a rational, logical child there who wants to know what is true. You may have another Augustine or Teresa of Avila in your daughter, both of whom were just as interested in understanding the truth as in having any personal experience of God, if not more.

 

[bogeyjlg]

What about the deaf? They cannot hear you. Does that mean you are not real?
What about the blind?

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

bogeyjlg:

What about the deaf? They cannot hear you. Does that mean you are not real?
What about the blind?

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Neat reply

 

[nordskoven]

Ugh… Stop with the Jesus propaganda. This is your time to pray mightily that your daughter will indeed tune into God’s voice. It’s hard. Peter had his breakthrough in declaring Jesus the Messiah through divine revelation. Blessed Mother and the Apostles prayed and had their breakthrough in the Cenacle with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

So as St. Benedict counseled, “Pray and work.” Prayer first…Beg God that all souls, especially the children, might “hear and obey” God’s voice. Then live the love by showing patience and kindness, by showing that you yourself got the message.

I always pray to be able to always see God’s face, hear His voice alone, and swiftly and lovingly do His will. I wish this for all, and hope you keep me in your prayers for this intention. And turn off the tv. Something is draining your daughter’s natural affection for you and for God. Turn it off and keep it off. Tell her it doesn’t exist because you can’t hear it. Seriously, Michael Medved, Jewish tv critic, says the only tv in his house the kids watch is that having media player ability alone, no network programming. He choses. Get “Song of Bernadette” and other greats and de-cable the cable, tear down the antenna.

 

[Mummybee]

nordskoven:

Ugh… Stop with the Jesus propaganda. .

I don’t think that’s fair. I have a 6 year old and a 20 mo old, and I find it critical to point out the presence of Christ each day in their every day lives. I forget, was it Mother Teresa who said, “God is in the pots and pans” ? It’s something that adults should do, too! By letting them know that they are never apart from God’s loving sight, they learn to trust that He is watching over them. I disagree with this portion of your comment. Teaching our children to recognize our Lord in the smallest parts of their lives, (not unlike The Little Flower) will help them to understand that Jesus speaks to us constantly, just not always with words.

 

[BlestOne]

I have to tell you about my son at 4 years old…too funny! His imaginary friend was Jesus; I thought, hmmm this could definitely be worse, so I let it go. One day I asked him what he was doing up in his room and he said that him and Jesus were watching TV and eating pizza. I was puzzled about what to say, and I knew I didn’t say the right thing when I said, “Honey, you don’t have a TV in your room” So I called mom, asked her what I should say…she said let me talk to him. He got on the phone and she said “Hey Luke, what does Jesus like on his pizza?” To which he replied…PEPPERONI…I laughed so hard! A few months later when my dad died, I decided to fly home alone and leave my husband with the kids (boys 4 and 18 mos.) as I was pregnant at the time and very tired. So on the day of the funeral, (which I didn’t think my son knew or understood) he insisted on going to the Cathedral where he had never been before and made my husband get a mass card for my dad. Then he had to go light a candle for grandpa! The funniest part of this story is…my then husband was a pagan worshipper, and his own 4 yo son dragged him into a Catholic Cathedral!!! What a hoot!!!