In continuing with my Bible story series, I read M (almost 4 years old) and J (14 months old) the story of Adam and Eve from the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Here’s the transcript of our storytime.
Note: I didn't transcribe every sentence of the Bible story. The bolded lines are quotes from the Jesus Storybook Bible.
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Mamo: We’re going to learn about Adam and Eve. The first people.
“Adam and Eve lived happily together in their beautiful new home. And everything was perfect.”
God made everything good, remember we learned about that in our last story? (the creation story)
M: Yeah.
Mamo: “God had a horrible enemy.” Do you know who God’s enemy is?
M: No
Mamo: “His name was Satan….He wanted to be God.” Can we be God?
M: No
Mamo: “Satan...grew proud and evil and full of hate.” God doesn’t like those things.
J: Ahh (he made a loud sound)
Mamo: “God had given Adam and Eve only one rule: ‘Don’t eat the fruit on that tree,’ God told them. ‘Because if you do, you’ll think you know everything. You’ll stop trusting me. And then death and sadness and tears will come.” So it’s important to obey God, right? Just like it’s important to obey Mommy and Daddy.
(J started crying)
What are some rules in our house?
M: I don’t know
Mamo: Well, we always have you buckle up right? (J continues crying, I try to hold him) That’s to keep you safe. And we always have you be careful when you’re chewing food because we don’t want you to choke, we do that to keep you safe. God’s rule was to keep them safe and happy and how He meant them to be.
M: Keep reading, keep reading.
Mamo: Ok, I will keep reading. Let me turn the page, J. (His hand was on the book)
“...they would try to make themselves happy without him. God knew there was no such thing as happiness without him, and life without him wouldn’t be life at all.”
Ohhh, we’re way more happy with God, right?
“Does God really love you?” Does God really love you, M?
M: Yeah
Mamo: Yeah.
“...why won’t he let you eat the nice, juicy, delicious fruit?”
God knows more than us doesn’t he?
M: Mommy, our plane is crashing (a toy)
Mamo: Oh no. Let’s keep reading the story.
“Does God love me?”
If only we were there, we could have told her, “God loves you!”, right?
M: Yeah.
Mamo: “One small taste…” He was trying to trick her, huh?
M: Yeah.
Mamo: “[They] ate some...and a terrible lie came into the world. It would never leave. It would live on in every human heart, whispering to every one of God’s children: ‘God doesn’t love me.’”
That makes me so sad because we know that God does love us.
“they felt naked, and wrong...so they hid”
M: Mommy, why did something wrong happen?
Mamo: Because satan was trying to trick them and he was successful. He did trick them. They chose to listen to lies. And that’s why something wrong happened. But God doesn’t leave it wrong. He makes it right later.
M: Yeah.
Mamo: How does He make it right?
M: I don’t know.
Mamo: He sends Jesus to make it right.
M: Keep reading.
Mamo:
“...Eve made me do it!...
The serpent made me (Eve) do it! ”
They should own up to it, shouldn’t they?
M: J’s putting that toy on my nose and I don’t like that.
Mamo: Yeah, J, we don’t like that. (kept reading)
M: Are you going to put that in my airbag? (talking to J)
Put it in my airbag.
Mamo: (sounds of boys playing)
M: Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.
Mamo: Hang on (continues reading)
“I will come to rescue you!...I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here...One day, God himself would come.”
What do you think, buddy? Who were the first people?
M: Not good.
Mamo: Why not good?
M: Adam and Eve weren’t listening.
Mamo: Yeah, they weren’t listening and they caused a lot of trouble. So, do you think we should listen to God?
M: Why did they cause a lot of trouble?
Mamo: Well, that’s the story of how sin entered the world.
M: Noooo.
Mamo: Do you think we should listen to God?
M: Yes.
Mamo, Yeah, why?
M: I don’t know.
Mamo: He knows more than us and knows better than us. He made us. He’s bigger than us. You listen to me because I’m bigger and I know more, right?
M: Yeah. This is my airbag. (playing)
Mamo:
Who comes to rescue us? Who fixes the wrong?
Jesus does, right? I’m so thankful for Jesus. Even when we make mistakes we can come back to God because of Jesus. Because of what He did for us. Do you remember what He did for us?
M: No.
Mamo: He died on the cross.
(J cries)
Mamo: Oh, did you crush his fingers? Open it, now! (J’s fingers were caught in the dresser drawer and he was crying but he was fine a moment later)
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Once again, our storytime was filled with distraction, redirecting, and connecting with other parts of the Bible. Do I think it’s worth reading Bible stories even if the kids don’t seem to be completely “getting it” or seem disinterested? Absolutely! My kids and I are so influenced by what we see and hear around us. I want the Bible to be the major influence that fills our heads and our home.
This story reminds me of how I give M a consequence for not listening (obeying). Disobedience can so easily sneak up. Sometimes I just ask if M needs a consequence and that’s all he needs to correct his behavior. When he does get a consequence it’s usually taking a toy away or a time out. Ideally I do it not to punish him, but to help him learn in a physical way - a sticking to the heart way - what is not ok, what his boundaries are, so he can flourish within them and become more of who God meant him to be. I want to discipline him like God disciplines me. The more I understand that God made humans incredibly complex and gave us so much beauty to explore the more I trust Him that the consequences He gives me are not for punishment but are from a good Daddy. Why can’t we all learn to trust Him through the good things and through the things our human eyes see as hard without having to be God? Without desiring to know more than what He’s laid out for us. Without desiring to be more than who He made us to be. Rather than eating from the “tree of knowledge” I’d rather let God handle the responsibility of being God. A type of “Would You Rather?” game comes to mind...
Would you rather trust that you always know best and your way is always the right way OR would you rather trust that God knows best and leave knowing everything up to Him who knows the past, present, and future and who wins in the end?
Would you rather trust in your own strength to fix your problems and the problems of those around you OR would you rather rest (there's nothing like caring for young children to teach you how amazing good rest is) and trust in the knowledge that God is bigger and stronger and can change any situation and any heart?
So, what happens when your kids ask you big questions that make you think? Have you ever had a hard moment of not feeling prepared and having no clue what to say? You are not alone! We don’t and can’t know everything, but that shouldn’t stop us from putting our kids at the feet of Jesus. I think God uses moments when we feel unprepared to help us learn to rely on our sovereign God, to reveal to our kids that it is normal for humans to not know everything, and to inspire us in the journey of gaining knowledge and putting that knowledge to good use. Try pointing to one of God's Truth in the simplest terms when a big question comes up. When a man asked what the most important commandment out of the 613 laws was, Jesus said "Love". God loves everyone with a “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” We are called to love Him, each other and ourselves like that. Sin separates us from God. In thinking about M’s question, Adam and Eve were not the only ones who caused trouble. Just look at our own choices and the world around us. Everyone is allowed to make their own choices and often bad choices are made. This separates us from God but Jesus made it so everyone can get close to God again. When M asked why something wrong happened during our story I could tell him about how we have an active part in our separation from God but that Jesus eliminated that separation. How joyful I am, to be able to answer his question with Good News!!
Manna from the story:
Adam and Eve is a story about the first people and how sin entered the world
It’s important to obey God, our authority
We can learn from Adam and Eve’s mistakes
There is consequence to sin and not listening to God
God loves us and forgives us
Lord,
Make this story and the Good News come alive in a new way for us. Reveal your Truths to us and give us the wisdom and courage to share that with our kids. May we have courageous obedience to You as our authority, learn from our mistakes, and treat consequence from sin as a loving act to help us grow into who You meant us to be.
Amen.
Useful resources relating to the Adam and Eve story: