Forecast: Snow Tomorrow in Louisiana

"Mommy, I want it to snow."

As I sweated in an 84 degree room with an upstairs air conditioner not working, the thought sounded good, but insane. I can think of few things crazier than waking up to a lawn full of snow in Louisiana in July. (This past Saturday, the heat index was 109.)

But try explaining the weather to a hard-headed three-year-old. I tried the "Yes, maybe this winter" tactic, but Wyatt's response was, "No. I want it to snow now."

I kept explaining, but he had already tuned out logical-mom, saying, "Well, I'll ask God."

Obviously, if mommy says "no," you should get a second opinion from a higher authority.

Seconds later, Wyatt burst forth in a very matter of fact prayer, "God, please make it snow tomorrow. Please God. Amen."

His father and I have taught him to pray about everything--for daddy's back when it hurts, for the rain to stop so we can put in a driveway, for Amelia's cut chin to heal, for cool breezes when we're outside. And God has always answered those prayers.

He has yet to see God say "no" or "wait" to one of his prayers. In his mind, I guess he's developed a concept of God as a machine where you stick in a quarter and pull out a prize every time.

But God isn't like that.

So, as I pinned glow-in-the-dark stars on the cobalt blue curtains hanging in his room, I told Wyatt the story of the baby in mommy's tummy before God gave him to her--the baby who lived and grew, the baby whose sustained life mommy and daddy prayed to God for, and the baby who God allowed to die anyway.

Perhaps I chose a bad example because he instantly forgot about snow and became highly upset, "But I don't want the baby to die!!!"

I tried valiantly to explain that sometimes God does things differently from what we ask because He knows what's best for us.

Wyatt's continued protestations proved that his little mind just didn't understand, that I was fighting a losing battle of logic versus emotion.

But I can't really shake my head in frustration at his lack of understanding--I'm 33 instead of 3 years old, and still I don't fully understand God's answers of "no" to many of my own prayers.

The intangible nature of faith, of leaping off a cliff into the invisible arms of God who you know is there even though there's no physical evidence to prove it--how do you teach these things to such a young mind?