that's just how god made it

By Karen Brown

My kids are little and, like most kids their age, full of questions. If I had a nickel for every time a little one asked me “why,” I would be a rich woman. Don’t get me wrong, I learn best myself by asking questions. I get why they do the asking. It’s just that, at times, my answer doesn’t seem to be quite good enough.

It tends to go something like this.

Them: “Why do giraffe’s have long necks?”

Me: “So they can reach high up and into trees to get the leaves they like to eat.”

Them: “But why?”

Me: “Because sometimes that’s the only place there are still leaves left after other, shorter animals have eaten.”

Them: “But why?” (following me around asking again and again and again)

Me: silent (now frustrated and wondering myself why giraffes have such long necks)

But behold, our family has an answer that seems to leave everyone satisfied and at peace. It is an answer that was given once by one of my kids’ babysitters. Are you ready? The response is... “That’s just how God made them.” Seriously, it works like a charm. So simple, huh? And I hear my kids giving this response quite often when others ask them questions they may not have answers to. It always cracks me up when I hear my three-year-old answer his own question with, “that’s just how God made them, right?” I love it! Try it next time your kids have a question. It even works on husbands sometimes too.