Faith and the four-year-old

E talks to God. E talks to God out loud, several times a day. E also talks to Carler, her invisible 'kid.' Her relationship with God is very personal and well-articulated, just like her relationship with Carler. This is not to say that she doesn't have faith; she in fact has very strong faith. It is to say rather that God is a character in her world, one she weaves into her daily narrative. She sees a school book and is inspired to help Carler with his homework; she sees a beautiful flower and is inspired to praise God.

Watching her develop her relationship with God is a curious thing for me.

Lately she has been saying a prayer of sorts to God. It sounds like a psalm, or an incantation. She weaves the same phrases around and around her tongue repeatedly, swirling them, modifying them, and returning to their origins. She says this prayer spontaneously whenever she is moved to do so, but she calls it her poem:

God, I love you for days and days and weeks and weeks and years and years. I love the whole beautiful world you made for us. Thank you, God, for this world. I love you, God, and you love me. God loves us and we love you, God. God loves us forever. God loves everyone. Everyone loves you. God loves us. You love me and I love you from day to day. I love you every day and every week and every year and from day to day I'll always love you. Thank you, God, for loving me. I love you.