God hates the devil

The boys and I started a new tradition while on the road last week: we bought an audio book and listened to it. (The Hunger Games, if you must know. Ian's read it twice, but Aidan and I had not. Even so, Ian is thoroughly enjoying listening to it!) It's cool how the three of us rode along in complete silence for 3 hours and didn't speak a word, just listening intently to the story. Twice, we've sprawled out on my bed or draped ourselves over the family room furniture and done two more 3-hour stretches of listening. We're only 7 chapters from the end. We're completely hooked!

Before we bought the book, the boys took turns playing DJ with Aidan's iPod, hooked up to my car's speakers. I thought it odd when the first song they played was Journey, and the second was Pink Floyd. When the third one was "Fix You" by Coldplay, I finally realized that they were choosing music for ME. Are they precious?? Aidan's iPod is loaded with awesome music because I'm the one who loaded it. <insert evil grin here>

Finally, I instructed them to choose THEIR favorite songs. Ian chose something by Casting Crowns. He sang along with every word. I marveled at how he knew the song, because we generally don't listen to Christian radio in the car (too many commercials, and the same 9 songs every hour, or so it seems). He said, "DUH, Mom. It's on Aidan's iPod." It made me happy that the Casting Crowns songs are his favorites. He knew them all. And Aidan? He chose The Beatles. My kids are awesome. :)

Aidan has taken on the role of Comforter. I haven't cried in front of him (well, maybe a tiny bit), but he knows when I'm sad. When I was telling a friend about it the other day, he was sitting nearby and quipped, "It's like I have a sixth sense or something." He totally does. He is very in tune with my sensitivities and recognizes when conversations might be headed the wrong way or when certain things might make me sad. I catch him checking on me regularly, to see if I'm okay. He often reaches across and holds my hand or puts his arm around me when he senses something might be off. It breaks my heart that he's taken this on, and yet I'm so proud of him I could bust. I constantly tell him that he will make an excellent husband and father some day.

Ian is very analytical about it all. On the way to San Antonio, he asked, "Mom, if God hates the devil so much, why doesn't He just destroy him?"

"That's a really good question," I answered. "I'm not even sure how to answer it. Let's ask Mr. Lambert when we get to John's house." (James gave a perfect answer, by the way.)

Ian continued, "I mean, the devil is the only thing God hates."
"God hates plenty of things," I replied.
"Like what?" he pressed.
"Like.... I think it's in Isaiah... it says God hates a lying tongue, and feet that stir up dissension... I can't remember what else, but there are six things that it says God hates, and they're all body parts like that. And in Malachi, it says God hates divorce. So see, there are lots of things God hates."

Ian turned in his seat and looked right at me. "If God hates divorce, why are you getting one?"

Boom. Spear to the heart.
"First of all, no one has said that we're definitely getting a divorce. And second, I want you boys to remember something. I do not want a divorce. But if Dad does, I will have to go along with it. Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do, even things we don't think are right. But that's why Jesus came! Because we have free will. God lets us make choices, and sometimes those choices will be things He hates."

James's answer later regarding the devil question tied right in:
"God created us and gave us the ability to make choices. Even Satan made choices. God could destroy him, but then he'd have to destroy the whole world. When he's ready, he WILL destroy the devil. But for now, we have to deal with him because we have free will." That's a very, very loose paraphrase, but you get the drift.

And by the way - that scripture I mentioned above isn't in Isaiah at all. It's Proverbs 6: 14-19:

¹⁶ There are six things the LORD hates,    seven that are detestable to him:     ¹⁷ haughty eyes,       a lying tongue,       hands that shed innocent blood,     ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes,       feet that are quick to rush into evil,     ¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies       and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. 

 My answer in the car seemed to satisfy Ian. His response was, "So God hates things that hurt people, which is why he hates the devil. Well, I hate the devil, too."

Me, too, sweet Ian. Me, too.