Sometimes, not a lot of words are necessary to understand a profound idea, especially when the people talking are five and eight years old.
Gracie Trent was playing with the Trent's family dog Goody and the cat Goldie when she heard something not uncommon from next door – the passionate boo-hooing of Lil' Robert Ludlow, the baby grandson of Capt. R.E. and Mrs. Thalia Ludlow.
Lil' Robert had different cries – he was big mad at the moment, having inherited every inch of his grandfather's temper but with way too little body to contain it. He had been sent to the room he shared with six-year-old Grayson to calm down and consider his attitude, but that could take hours.
Gracie crossed the property line, but not too close – social distancing and all.
“Open the window, Robert – maybe I can help!”
The boo-hooing stopped for a moment, and there he came, face and blond hair all mussed up, blue eyes just flaming in that cute little face.
Lil' Robert had what in the world of five and eight year olds was not so much an incredible story – it all seemed like a reasonable plan to him, and Gracie didn't seem to have any objections until –.
“Well, Robert, the adults don't really like it when they have water in the house, so, maybe a water slide through the living room wasn't going to work.”
“But we would have had it all done and they would have seen it and had fun but Grandma doesn't play fair! Her eyes seemed closed but she was listening all the time! We didn't even get to cutting the plastic bags to start taping them together before Grandpa pounced!”
Gracie thought about this for a little while, and then had a question and a statement.
“So, did you ask anyone for permission before taking the trash bags?”
“No!”
“It's not fair to ask other people to play fair if you don't play fair, Robert.”
Lil' Robert thought about this for a long time.
“I don't understand and I don't want to understand,” he said, “but the thing is, I do understand.”
“That's God helping you,” Gracie said. “Everybody wants to do what they want, but we have a fair God helping us play fair.”
Lil' Robert considered this.
“I really want to do what I want,” he said at last, “but I want things to be fair, too.”
“Dad says that's everybody,” Gracie said. “Just gotta get to the right side of it.”
Lil' Robert considered this.
“I want to be on the right side,” he said. “I don't know that much about God, but I'm sure He is on the right side, and I want to be where He is.”
“Yep, me too,” Gracie said.
“Thanks, Gracie. There are a lot of nice people over here, and you're the best!”
“Thanks, Robert!”