Mumbai 2015

"If Satan hates God, then why is he in the garden? Who let Satan in?" ~ Libby

I have prayed that my children would ask questions like this even before I was pregnant. I just never expected Libby would ask something like this so soon. I believe that children are particularly sensitive to the truths about God. It's challenging, tough, to answer a question like this. I've heard sermons about the answer to this particular question. My whole parenting philosophy -or whatever you wanna call it- is based on the answer to that ONE question. 

WHY was Satan in the garden? WHO allowed Satan to go near God's children? And if God so loved them, why didn't God stop them from eating? Basically... Why didn't God build a darn fence around the tree if He knew WHAT they would do?

Enzito

I told Libby God allowed Satan to tempt His children. Don't judge me if it is the wrong answer, but as I understand the Bible, God is sovereign over all. Satan cannot do anything without God's permission and God is not the one who tempts us to do wrong things (Job 2:6, James 1:13).

- Why did He do that, Mommy?

- So they could CHOOSE.

You see, I believe in a God who has never been alone. And I won't get technical, just for now... that's Christian Theology. The Trinity. I worship ONE and ONLY ONE GOD, who manifests Himself in three different persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I also believe God is able to relate to anyone. ANYONE. Whether you are four or ninety years old, ANYBODY can relate to God.

The God of the Bible is a God who wants to “be with” you. You were made to walk with God. You were made for a “with God” life.*

About to swim like dolphins

The challenge for me with Libby and Enzo right now -and I guess with all children- is the span of attention. You only have these small widows of opportunity, so whatever you say when you are asked these type of questions has to be short and sweet. Too much information and you lost them. That in itself is such a difficult thing for me to do because mainly I just babble when I talk, LOL!! 

Seriously, I was just telling Emerson last night that it is very difficult for me to answer open questions because I just cannot easily think only one answer. But when Libby asked me about Satan last night, when she asked why would God do something like that, the answer I gave her was CHOICE. 

God wanted His children to love Him and obey Him. And true obedience -the one that comes from a pure heart- is only shown when you actually have the choice to disobey.  

Park Sheraton, Chennai. April, 2015. 

The Christian faith is rooted in God's love for His children. God created Adam and Eve and they were immensely happy. They were able to walk with God, be with God, and talk to God like 24/7 if they wanted to. That was the way God intended the relationship with His children to be - perfect. He created them not because He HAD to, but because God rejoiced in sharing His perfect love with His creation. 

But then, the more I think about it, it only makes sense that God, as a Father, wanted His children to obey Him out of love for Him. Just as He loved them, God wanted their love for Him to be shown in obedience to Him. Make no mistake, I am not saying He NEEDS to be loved back. He does not need our love nor our obedience. But the Old Testament portrays God as a Father who suffers when His children reject Him over and over. The whole Bible - from beginning to end- portrays God as the perfect Father who would sacrifice anything and everything He has in order to rescue His creation. That's exactly what differentiates Biblical Christianity from the rest of all world religions - all of them. 

The Father loves the children and welcomes them back, over and over and over again. The kind of love the God of the Bible offers every single human being is UNCONDITIONAL. At the same time, tough, God is not an idiot or a push over you should mess with. He is Holy and Powerful. He wants obedience from us (1 John 2:3-5, John 14:15). So it is my understanding that if you really love God, you obey Him. At the same time, there is GRACE, because we are not perfect, and we keep on doing the wrong thing. But God, in His mercy -and if we truly repent- keeps on forgiving.

This kind of love and forgiveness used to make me freak out because it is not normal in my human eyes. Who would be such an idiot as to forgive over and over and over again? Seriously, no human being is able to do this on his own because it is not fair. But this is the way God forgives. Sure, it is not fair. Nobody said it has to be fair. That's why it is called GRACE.

UNCONDITIONAL :)

So my question tonight is this: Why did God let Satan in?  I hope I can answer that by the end of the post. 

We went like a month ago to a mini vacation to the hotel where we stayed when we arrived to India. It was nice to be back. People recognized us and were happy to see us. Libby was able to swim with the floaters for the first time on her own. I don't even remember what we did during the three days we were there. Emerson said we did nothing - that was the whole point. We went to eat to a Pizza Corner which we found out was bought by Papa Johns, but still has the pool of balls the children like.

Enjoying herself... finally!

We had some snacks from Amma Naana for dinner, and we swam a lot. Overall, it was great to get out of the house, because Libby is on holiday from school, and there is not a lot going on in Chennai. Yes, I am very ungrateful. There are more stories about unthankfulness to tell, so keep on reading.

So last weekend Emerson also took is to Mumbai and it was freaking awesome!!

We got up  at 4 am to get to the airport and I was super excited. I wonder why I am not able to get up like that to go run in the morning... Hmm. So we left, and we had to wait for Kannandasan at the Red Dragon. He was taking his sweet time, while our plane was waiting for us, LOL!

Once we got to the airport, we went trough security and the amount of people that travels is insane! All the people had a ticket. Emerson said you actually cannot get into the airport if you don't have a ticket. Then we landed, and when we got out of the airport to take a taxi, I saw a Starbucks. I was like, "I'm liking Mumbai already!"

Emerson says there's a Starbucks in Chennai. Why have we never gone in these ten months?! I don't know! We are going tomorrow, we'll make a point to go :))

Cockpit

We got to the hotel, we checked in, and we swam. Then Emerson had the fantastic idea of teasing Enzo telling him the sharks were gonna eat him (there were some tile fish at the bottom of the pool) and that was it. Enzo cried, he was scared and that was the last time we saw the pool. Libby said she was cold... whatever, we just didn't swim anymore. LOL!

Then we took a shower, and we went to a restaurant called Haji Ali that we like very much in Chennai. Then we went to a Shrine also called Haji Ali. And I was like, "Hmm... now it makes sense"

Haji Ali Dargah

Walking there was a pain. I mean, it's like 0.6 miles long, and it was like 95 F. That's not it, but then Libby and Enzo began whining about being tired and stuff, and there was an ocean of people so we decided to carry them. I wanted to get in, but I didn't have anything to cover my head. DUH!! I should have, SHOULD HAVE, known better, right? So we carried them back again and by the time we came back to the hotel, all of us (except Libby) passed out. 

When we got up, we got ready to visit Saikat and Sanchita, who now also have a 4 month old little boy. Saikat and Emerson were together at OSU. 

Visiting friends

That day we got to the hotel around 11 pm. Next morning we had breakfast and went to Elephanta Island, which is like Roqueta Island in Acapulco, Mexico. You had to take a boat trip and then you get to see some donkeys drinking beer, LOL!! In Elephanta Island all we saw were monkeys and some caves with interesting stones dedicated to Shiva. Also we had to climb 120 very steep steps, but the children climbed them all. They passed out on the boat ride on the way back. 

The Gateway of India

Then Emerson took us to a restaurant that is the first brew pub in Mumbai, and we had a nice lunch and a nice beer. I was so hungry. When we got back to the hotel, we all took showers, and at some point everybody also passed out. 

The Barking Deer

Then the next day after breakfast (it was Sunday and we had to leave the hotel at 4 pm) Emerson decided to surprise the children and we took them to a playground. They were very happy to be able to play around and jump. They were genuinely happy. Then Enzo... he said he had to go poo poos. And I took him out, but the bathrooms were locked, and nobody had the key because it was Sunday and nobody was there. 

Before the incident

So I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but I just did what I have been watching people do in India, specially male adults. I took my child to a corner and encouraged him to do his business. I was worried, he was crying because he was in pain holding it. Libby pooped one day in the woods in Cypress. It's not up to me when my children decide to poop or pee, and they can hold it very well, but sometimes those things happen. A lady actually gave me a plastic bad, LOL!! She also told me my child should be wearing a diaper. I don't think so, he's three and is potty trained. Why would he need a diaper?! Anyway... he couldn't poop. He was just scared or ashamed. After awhile we left, and Enzo passed out in the taxi. He gets exhausted when he has to hold it like that. 

I mean, she looks happy, doesn't she?

As we were leaving the park, Emerson asked Libby if she had enjoyed it. And then, she began crying. The crying went on to whining and just plain complaining about how much she wanted to do something else. She said she didn't want to go to that park, and that she didn't have fun at all. She began talking about other park with  balloons... I've noticed that she is asking for more and more things. She wants something and whines about it. And she complains a lot lately. Enzo is having the same attitude with food. She hurt Emerson's feelings. He was so excited and happy when he saw her playing, and then she said something like that. 

I was very upset. I just told her that she was having a very ungrateful heart, and no matter what, when Daddy does something for her or Enzo is because he loves them. She kept on whining. Then I raised my voice and told her I didn't want to hear about what she had to say. No more complaints. If she didn't like it, that was okay, but she still had to say Thank You, Daddy. She did. 

  

The Talk

When we came back and we kinda settled, I talked to her. I don't know how much she really understands, but I shared a chocolate with her. I asked her if she knew why I was sharing my chocolate with her. And she said it was because I loved her. She has been asking me lately why I do the things I do for them, like reading them books, and cooking, and giving them showers... So the chocolate was my point to start the conversation. I told her I didn't have to share with her, but I was doing it because I loved her with all my heart. And when I shared my chocolate, all I wanted to hear was a thank you from her. I didn't really want to hear how awful my chocolate was, or whether my chocolate could have been better or not. All I want is a thank you.  

I told her I understood how she felt, believe it or not, she kept on saying how much she really wanted to go to the other park with the balloons... But at the same time, I told her that she should be thankful that Daddy took her to a park. Daddy didn't have to, but he did it out of love for them so they would have a good time. And I told her I knew maybe she wanted to have fun at another park, but she can still find joy in her heart about the things that she did have, instead on focusing in the ones she didn't have at that particular moment in time. 

You can always find a reason to be thankful for, Libby.

Loving Daddy

Then it hit me, but I didn't say anything. She apologized to Emerson, whether there was real understanding I don't know, but she listened, and she is learning. I'm ungrateful, and I'm 32 years old. Thankfulness and contentment is something you  need to learn and practice all throughout your life. When we were having lunch, Emerson said she had really hurt his feelings. He felt as if he couldn't make anyone happy, and it hit me again. Only this time, I actually said something. I told him he is free from that burden. I told him he was free to stop trying to make us happy because that was not his job. I mean, yes, he has to do something, right? But mainly, it is our job to learn to be content whether with little or with much, whether living in plenty or in want...

Chennai kinda sucks, and lately I've been telling Libby how much I miss Houston, and how much I miss the parks and the slides. I have to set an example for them. I realized that day that really, every single day is a gift from God. I should know that, right? And I know it, but following God is an every day thing, and I make mistakes, and I sin. I'm unthankful on a regular basis. It's like, it's never enough. I told her that day that our eyes will never have enough. We always want more and better. But it takes faith to trust God and practice self-control, to rejoice in the fact that we have each other, and that we are alive. 

Yes, we live in Chennai. Yes, Mumbai was amazing. But we should not focus on Mumbai, because we can miss Chennai. We should be thankful that God allowed us to take a break and go for the weekend. We should be thankful and grateful.   

I guess that's something we should work on. Enzo is complaining about the food all the time. Just last night, he whined ten minutes straight because he didn't like his dinner. I warned him a ton of times to stop, but he didn't. Last thing he said was, "I doooooon't liiiike thiiiiis...". 

And that was it. Very calmly I got up from my seat, and I told him he didn't have to eat it if he didn't like it. I told him to go wash his hands and that he was excused from the table. Of course, he now whined because I took the food away, but that will let him know we mean business. I am not the perfect mother, and I don't have a manual for situations like this, but tough love sounded good to me. Seriously, how are going to learn to be thankful if we always have every single thing we want?

What kind of spoiled children we would be raising if we buy them every single toy they demand? Oh... they are asking for everything. Emerson thinks Libby is old enough to start getting an allowance, and start saving for her own toys. I don't know... I was never raised this way, for me everything was a given. And I know how much it hurts to learn that money doesn't grow on trees when you are 24. So, I guess, teaching them responsibility at this young age is a very good idea.

Messing with Camille

Same with rewards. I gave them a job: folding the dish cloths. That's their job. Today they did it without complaining. And I told them I was so proud of them I wanted to reward them with ice cream. Libby began whining about how much she didn't want ice cream as a reward, but a chocolate. So I turned to her and I said, "I am the one giving the reward, take it or leave it". She cried.

Then I turned to Enzo and I asked, "Do you want ice cream or not?" Enzo said yes. I asked Libby again, and she took it. I don't know what went into her mind, but I would've been like, "I mean, it's either ice cream or nothing, so I'll take it"

All this to say that sometimes we might question how God works in our lives, and I think that's normal. Somehow we think that we know better, and that we should get better. And we forget that all the time He is the One who gave us life. So yes, He is loving and forgiving, but He is not our genie in a bottle, and He does not share His authority with anybody. What makes me think that I know better than Him??

"Bromeas? Es un papucho"

So to wrap it up, here's my answer. So far I told Libby God allowed Satan inside the garden because He wanted them to choose. I just want to expand on that. I'm no theologian, so this is just my humble opinion. I think God gave Adam and Eve free will to test their obedience. God, according to the Bible, had created them in His image. That doesn't mean they were like God, because God does not have a human body. What HIS image means is that we as humans can reflect His character: His love, His compassion, His joy, His goodness, etc.

But Satan deceived them. He made Eve think that she could be like God. That she could know everything. Satan made her think that God was holding something from them, that after all, God didn't love them as much as He probably had told them countless times while they walked in the Garden. Satan tempted Eve to doubt God's love for her, and he was successful. She ate.

Now, with that background... Why would God let that happen, Libby and Enzo? 



I can only answer this as your mother. I love you with all my heart. I have told you many times that I would give my life for you. I want the best for you. Whatever I do, I only do it with your best interest at heart. If I, being a human being, can love you like this, how much more do you think God loves you? And me? And Adam and Eve? How much do you think He loved them? How much do you think God loves the people He created?

Much more than we can ever imagine...

La dueña de las quincenas :)

I think Adam and Eve got to experience many aspects of God. Remember He walked around in the Garden (Genesis 3:8), so they really knew who God was. They knew their Creator. They had to know how wonderful and trustworthy and faithful God was. They trusted Him. They had a close and intimate fellowship with Him. Their relationship with Him was perfect. That's the way God intended it to be. That is actually the way God wants to relate to everyone of us now. So it's not like Eve didn't know what she was doing. You know what I mean? She knew her God.

As your Mommy, I want you to be strong and courageous. I want you to believe in me, and to know that I keep my word. I want you to trust me. Libby, when I let go off you in the pool, I do it because I want to show you how you are able to swim on your own. I know you are afraid, but you can do it! Enzo, when your dad counts to ten and helps you breathe so you control your anger... You make us so proud with your self-control :)

These are issues that Adam and Eve didn't know of. They were never sad or angry or afraid because they didn't know sin. Nothing separated them from God - nothing. As a mother, guys, I want you to do the right thing. The things that I have taught you to be right. And for the most part, you do them because I coach you, and Daddy encourages you. But answer me this:

Would you still do the right thing even when no one is watching?

Mahesh Murti Shiva

Let's jump 10 years in time... You and Enzo will know that God wants sexual purity from you. Sexual immorality is a sin, and it refers not only to having sex before marriage, but it includes many other things. For now, let's just focus on sex. So far, I can make sure you have no sex with anybody because I am with you all day long. And as your mother, I can make sure that you  have no sex with anybody until you get married. How? Well, by being behind your back all day long. Is that what obedience out of love seems to you? 

Sin has consequences, you, guys. For me, in the sexual arena, there were a lot of consequences. So I can testify that's the truth. If God tells you not to do something, it is not because He is lame or boring, or because He doesn't want you to have fun nor because He doesn't love you. If He says not to have sex before marriage, it is because you will get hurt, one way or another. Sin has a way to get you. Either an unplanned pregnancy, or a STD, or many other things. Hurtful things. We know of this consequences now, but Adam and Eve were blind to all this. They needed to trust God. Just as we know God is good and we can trust Him when He says to step away from bad things, they also had to step away of the ONE thing that God told them not to do.

ITC Grand Hotel. Mumbai. May, 2015.

But suppose I go with you to the mall, to your friend's house, to your field trips, to your friend's birthday parties, to the movies, I go everywhere to make sure you remain a virgin in the body. That's not LOVE, guys. At least not in my opinion. That is me trying to CONTROL you. 

We, as your parents, are accountable to God to teach you right from wrong. And yes, we will do our best to help you step away from temptation. But we also have to teach you to follow Him closely. You are accountable to Him in the long run, your dad and I are just paving the way. But how will we ever know the real reason why you remained virgins? Was it because you actually loved God and believed in the things we raised you with OR because we suffocated you with our presence? 

How will we ever know if you would actually follow God by your own desire to follow God if we never step away? Am I making sense? There's Biblical truth in this, guys. Look it up for yourselves. Deuteronomy 32:11 talks about God stirring up the nest like an eagle pushes her young to teach them how to fly, and then she catches them.  How will you ever know if you can swim on your own, Libby, if I never let go of you? 

I think it was the same with God. God could have controlled them. God could have protected the tree or put it away, or hide it. God gave them the rule, and He warned them beforehand of the consequences of breaking it. But God also loved them. He trusted them. And out of that love, He gave them the freedom to choose.  

Mommy letting go

I don't know... it makes sense to me that God would test our obedience like that. Why do we follow Him in the first place anyway? If we follow Him out of our own selfish interests... that's not love. And if you love God, then you obey God. You want to please Him. It's normal for you, guys, to want to please me or your daddy because you love us. That submission, that obedience out of love is the one God desires from all of us. 

Anyway... this was not short but it was sweet because God was all knowing. So this would have been the end where God gets super angry and sends them all to hell... Yes, He had to punish their disobedience so He took them out of the garden. But before that He clothed His children. He restored them, and promised to rescue them (Genesis 3:15 --> 1 John 3:8).

It is not fair that at the beginning of our lives we are separated from God because of what Adam and Eve did. But God gives us the same opportunity they once had. We can freely choose to restore that relationship by following Jesus. Would you trust and obey Him? 

You sang this tonight, May 5th, 2015, to the top of your lungs before going to sleep :)

Trust and Obey

For there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey

 *Pete Wilson (Cross Point Church Nashville)