Raeford and the Rameumptom

"Okay. But why?" 

I hear this question around half a dozen times a day. It goes something like this, 

"Raeford, please put your dishes on the counter," I say. 

"Okay, but why?" he asks. 

"Because we need to keep our house clean." 

"Why?"
"Because a clean house helps us to stay healthy."
"Why?"
"Because when we are dirty, it is easier to get sick."
"Why?"
"Just put your dishes on the counter!" 

In Rae's defense, he is usually already doing what I asked him to do. He just drags his feet with a long string of whys. I appreciate that he says "okay" and usually does what I ask. It the endless whys afterwards that become difficult. 

Remember the Rameumptom? The wicked Zoramites climb up on the Rameumptom, a one-person tower, and loudly and publicly pray atrociously self-serving prayers. Then "…they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the [Rameumptom]…" (my emphasis, Alma 31: 23)

I frequently have the line "never speaking of their God again" run through my brain. I wonder often if I am just as guilty of not talking about my God, except when I go to church. I want to teach my kids that God applies to everyday situations, so I happened on this solution: Because Jesus wants us to. 

So, back to the first example:

"Raeford, please put your dishes on the counter," I say.

"Okay, but why?" he asks. 

"Because we need to keep our house clean." 

"Why?" 

"Because Jesus wants us to be clean."

Done.

This resonates with Rae and stops his string of whys. Why don't we hit our brothers? Because Jesus wants us to be good. Why do we go to church? Because we love Jesus. Really, it works for just about everything. And it is so simple that Rae can understand it. 

So, now, the "Okay, but why?" isn't so hard for me. And I love when Rae looks at me with his big blue-gray eyes and asks, "Because Jesus wants me to be good?" 

Yes, sweetheart. It is because Jesus wants you to be good. And as I think about the answers that I give Rae, I feel the truth of what I am saying. We really do go to church because we love Jesus. We really do want to be good and clean because we want to be like Jesus. 

Why didn't I think of that before?