A Poppas Answers to Grand Children's Questions !
Many a Poppa has been asked worldly questions by his grandchildren how Poppa answers these questions will remain etched in his grandchildren's minds forever.
My mind roles back to when I was a wee lad as my Poppa called me.
Being Poppas second grandchild at the time, which later grew to 19 .The year was 1947 I was 3 years old I have a very strong memory of most of that time .The second war had ceased some 2 years before one year after I was born 1944.
My Poppa lived with my mother and my father in a tiny 2 bedroom flat which was part of an old monastery as my mother worked full time as a barmaid and my father was in and out of hospital with war injuries and he was employed as a waterside worker my Poppa was my full time carer he was retired after a life time in the wool industry .My Poppa originally came from Scotland and arrived in Fremantle Western Australia in 1909 met my grandmother not long after and were married and was the proud father of 7 beautiful loving daughters .
My Poppa always talked to me about the war especially the Japanese army all my toys were soldiers guns boats planes and meccano and I had a lovely doll called Beryl.
My Poppa was stanch Presbyterian fire and brimstone want not waste not .
My first memory of my first question I asked my Poppa was why do I need to have shoes on my feet all the time
He would say to me laddie get your shoes on you must be ready to walk if the Japanese army came to our front door they will make you march on a hot road and no shoes and your feet would burn then you would be left behind .
That was 74 years ago and I never ever forget his answer .
Today my grandchildren have questions regrading where have they come from well I would say that's a question for your mother and father.
No Poppa comes the answer we mean did we all come from God ?
Quick as a flash I answered yes God made the heaven and earth every thing
on the earth .
We know that Poppa but what about humans ?
Thinking quickly I said God made Adam he was the first man, God then created Eve from one of Adams ribs.
So Poppa did Adam and Eve get married and have children ?
The short answer is yes and they had two sons Cain and Abel , we will need to read together the story of Adam and Eve.
The New American Bible My family bible was on the table next to us and I bent over and picked it up opening to page 1 of the book of Genesis first story of creation .
We read together the first 7 days of gods creation of earth and heaven there were no questions raised and we moved to The second story of creation where God made Adam and Eve and once again the question arose.
Poppa as Cain and Abel were the first children how did the next generation people begin .I read Genesis 1v 27 to them
“God created man in his image :in the divine image he created him:
Male and female he created them” .
At this point they become a little bewiled as one of them asked does every body believe in God ?
Did God really make the heaven an earth ?
How do we know the bible is true ?
I could sense their was more to these questions than meet the eye
Then it popped out form one of my grand children my friend believes that it can not be proved that God made heaven an earth and therefore science can not prove it every happened.
That is so Science have their theory's and proof of those theory's are inclusive so it is their choose whether they believe or not . .then as quick as a wink I said lets leave our chat for now and we can meet again next week .
Time is what Poppa needs to prepare for the answer they are seeking .
Faith verses science .
At our next meeting together Chose to answer one question of there's one at a time.
Is the Bible true?
Great question I said to them the bible is a record of all things that has happened from the day of creation the writings have been tested by the greatest minds in religion and science and the bible can be has shown to be a reliable document we can then reasonable expect it to be true .However this is where you have to make up your own minds do we believe in our thoughts and understanding of our experience of Story of God .
Not everybody believes in God there are those who call themselves Atheists .An Atheists is a person who disbelieves in God and has no belief that God every existed .
Poppa was the call are, sciences all Atheists ? No I said I don't think so they write papers on what they believe to be true from the research they do on the subject . I think the sciences have proven the creation did happen but in a different form than what Christians believe to be God .
It would be good for you guys to read up on Charles Darwin a Naturalist- Biologist and Geologist, who's contribution to science was that of evolution. Which is the opposing argument to God.
The answer I have for you re the last question you ask did God really make the heaven and earth ?
The answer to your question lays squarely in your own hands or should I say in your own heart and mind.
So should you believe that God created the heavens and earth then you will have confidence and strong belief of the Bible and its spiritual conviction .
I still have not shared with you the meaning of faith especially your own personnel faith . Faith is your own undeniable belief in someone or something that you trust, with all your heart and soul to be loyal to your own beliefs and that it will never let you down .
The grand children were quite and looking at me with a soft smile on there faces i know with the age difference of my grand children they would all have a different understanding to what we had talk about however I had no doubt that they all believed God made the heaven and earth .
Poppa what do you believe ? That was easy, I told them I loved them all and I believed in each one of them and that I believed in God the Father almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only son .
