Anyone educated enough re: Christianity to help me answer this question?

CD+AL

So, my 3yo DS went to Vacation Bible School and had a blast...great!  He's really pumped up about it and has had lots of questions.  I've been able to field all of them fairly well (I think anyway) until he popped up with this one:

"Momma, if G-d made everything and everyone, where did G-d come from?"

<<Crickets>>  I had NO friggin' idea what to say.  None...totally blank.  I finally told him that I'd have to look it up and get back to him, which to my surprise he actually accepted, but I know my DS well enough to know that I've only bought time.  He WILL ask again, and it won't be long before he does.  Please help!  TIA!

luvmagoldn

When I was asked this question I think I said something like, "no one knows for sure.  God created all the animals and plants, people and oceans but where God came from is a mystery."

Not sure if that was the *right* answer but it seemed to satisfy my LO.  For now anyway! 

Pesky

I would smile and simply say "I don't know!  Lots of people want to know that but I guess it is something we will get to ask when we go to heaven.  Where do you think He might have come from?"

franciscaz

I just smile and say, one day I will have to ask him!

moroccojade

"God had no beginning, and He will have no end" works for many kids (including myself!  I'll always remember that line.)

If that rouses the crickets, you could rephrase it a little...  "He is the creator/maker of all things.  No one made him, though.  He's always been around, and will be around forever."    

Or maybe a visual would help.  A straight line has a beginning and an end.  Like people/animals.   They're born, and then they die.  But God is like a circle... Can you find the beginning?  The end?    No.  Then the "no beginning, no end" phrase might make more sense.

KL777

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

You can tell your 3 year old that God does not have a timeline.  His timeline is from infinity to infintiy---meaning He always existed and always will. 

Explain that this may be a little difficult for us to understand because we are the creations and God is the Creator---meaning He's way smarter than us.

Hope this helps!

PenelopelePhew

He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.  We'll just have to ask him the specifics of that when we get to Heaven.

Mrs Manners

moroccojade:

"God had no beginning, and He will have no end" works for many kids (including myself!  I'll always remember that line.)

If that rouses the crickets, you could rephrase it a little...  "He is the creator/maker of all things.  No one made him, though.  He's always been around, and will be around forever."    

Or maybe a visual would help.  A straight line has a beginning and an end.  Like people/animals.   They're born, and then they die.  But God is like a circle... Can you find the beginning?  The end?    No.  Then the "no beginning, no end" phrase might make more sense.

I love this way of putting it. I don't think ds would understand quite yet, but he hasn't asked the question yet so I'll save this for when he does.

CD+AL

Thanks ladies!  These are great suggestions, and they really helped.  I think it just took me by surprise that he asked such a sophisticated question about G-d already.  Plus, I'm the type of person that always has an answer for everything, so when I didn't have one for this it totally threw me for a loop. 

Asquared

KL777:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

You can tell your 3 year old that God does not have a timeline.  His timeline is from infinity to infintiy---meaning He always existed and always will. 

Explain that this may be a little difficult for us to understand because we are the creations and God is the Creator---meaning He's way smarter than us.

Hope this helps!

I like all these answers, but especially this one.   It'd be tricky for a 3 yo to understand God isn't bound by time like humans are, but it's all we can say and be sure of.   Love the curiousity of kids!  My 3 yo just asked me a ? about how do teeth grow?  That one threw me for a loop too!