Stump the Dummy

The 4 year old can already stump me.  I guess I better work on upping my game?!

A few days ago we were reading about holidays.  We were discussing the 4th of July, and I told the kids that on the 4th of July we celebrate our independence - that a little more than 200 years ago, we went to war with the country we were a part of, to become our own country.

I was patting myself on the back for my simple explanation, when Bentley asked:

"Mom, what is war?"

I wasn't really sure how to answer.  I wish it was a concept that we didn't have to understand and that it didn't exist.  But I am not a pacifist - I believe good and evil do exist and that there will be conflict and that's necessary and "right" sometimes.  I'm also not an idealist, and I don't believe all wars are that black and white.  So I wasn't even sure where to start with the question!

But an even better question came up today.  We were looking at postcards that Grandma has sent the kids (she and Opa are currently on vacation in the sunny south).  Bentley received a postcard with a rattlesnake on it.  Grandma made some comment on the back of it that she was glad they hadn't seen any real snakes.

Bentley: "I'm disappointed that Grandma and Opa didn't see any real snakes"!
Me: "Why?!  I'm not!  Rattle snakes are dangerous!  They could hurt Grandma and Opa"!
Bentley: "How?  They're in cages".
Me: "No, not all snakes are in cages.  These ones are out and about just like people are.  They could hurt us".
Bentley: "Why would God do that"?!

I love that he recognizes God's hand in everything.  But, again, why these thought provoking questions?!  I thought about just telling him snakes aren't all "bad", but I do have a natural bias against them.  Slimy cold creatures.  And I thought about telling him that sometimes God lets bad things happen.  But that doesn't make God sound too warm and cuddly.  So I settled for telling him that God provides us with a beautiful planet, some of which is dangerous.

Which may have dodged the question.  I need to go work on my answer skills!