What a friend we have in Jesus

Toddlers are highly amusing creatures, espeically the ones like mine that have vivid imaginations. Lately, Abbey has been turning anything and everything into an imaginary friend. She occasionally talks to Sarah, who thankfully exists as an actual little girl at her preschool, and frequently her hands, which can lead to hysterical conversations: "Time for bed, mommy hand. Good night, mommy hand. Say good night, Abbey hand. Sleep well." And she then proceeds to shove both her hands into my sandals, which are now cribs and heck if I'm allowed to wear them for at least an hour. The mommy-Abbey phenomenon also happens with cookies, sandwiches, sticks ... anything that can have different sizes. Daddy, nana, pops and grandma version of things also have frequent roles.

But by far the strangest imaginary friend would have to be our Lord and Savior. She's been playing with Jesus a lot lately. I'd heard her chatting in general a couple of weeks ago, but then last week they were having quite the game of one-on-one basketball, though aparently Jesus cheats. I guess He made up for it the next day, though, when He helped her scrub the tub while I cleaned the rest of the bathroom. Funny, my house doesn't look like there's been divine intervention ... Now, how do you correct theology like that? I can't tell her to stop talking to Jesus because, who knows, maybe she's having actual visions? Maybe He's had pity on an only child and given her a playmate. And I've always argued that you can't tell exactly when faith starts, maybe this is the beginnings of a 2-year-old's understanding of the God she's been shown at preschool and in songs, where Jesus is your friend and he loves you and is always there. Not a bad beginning. Plus I'm not sure she'd grasp the whole "God doesn't cheat, sweetie." Heck, it's hard to understand that as an adult sometimes!

But at least she's got a good chance at a college scholarship, with a coach like that ...