Cookies and Other Deep Thoughts

This conversation really happened ...

Rachel: "Mom, why do women have to wear those things under their shirts?"

Me: "Um ... hold on a second ... let me focus." (in my defense I was laying out clothes for the morning and it's the end of the day and I wasn't really in the 'let's have a deep talk' frame of mind)

Me: "Well Rachel, God created men to be visual. You and I can see something like 15 times and still not remember what it looks like. It's not like that for men. Men respond to things that they see. It's a beautiful thing that God created men to be like that, but our world has twisted what God meant to be good. You know how every commercial has a beautiful woman dressed in tight or inappropriate clothes?"

Rachel: "Yes."

Me: "Well, they do that on purpose so that men will be drawn to the images and maybe buy whatever people are trying to sell. Our world manipulates men using what God created to be good."

Rachel: "So it would be like telling your toddler to not eat a cookie and then leaving a cookie out on the counter."

Me: "Exactly! So, we as Christians, want to help our brothers in Christ as much as we can. We want to be sure that we are not putting anything out there that might cause them to sin. And even the undergarments that we wear can help us be modest."

Rachel: "So it's like putting your cookies in the cookie jar."

Me: "Yep."

At this point I was wondering why I try and help her understand things. I really should just turn the questions around to her and let her run with it. And then I think I should maybe have the other kids gather 'round and listen to her answers since she clearly has things under control.

At least she still needs me to drive her places :)