My husband and I teach a class to 3- and 4-year-olds at our church on Sundays.

This is more an act of desperation on the part of the church than it is a statement about our teaching abilities.

This summer, we had a rare, warm, sunny Sunday morning.  We took the kids outside to play.  Being the excellent and dedicated teachers that we are, we didn’t want to go back inside for the planned lesson.  So we didn’t.

We punted.

Me: Hey, kids!  Let’s play a Bible game.

Kids: Yay! Yay! Yay!

Me: Um, we’re going to play a game called… ummmm… Noah’s Ark.  And this play structure is our ark.  And this will be fun because… ummmm… you can be animals!

Kids:  Yay! Yay! Yay!

At this point, I kind of figured this would be easy peasey.  There’s nothing like the unbridled enthusiasm of preschoolers for all things ridiculous.

We played the game six times.  Each time, a different child got to be Noah and build the Ark.  I played the role of God, instructing Noah to build the play structure.  Noah in turn instructed all of the debras and ephalants and why-ons to get on board.

Kids:  I want to be Noah!  No, me!  I want to be Noah!

Me: No worries.  You can all have a turn to be Noah, OK?

Kids: Yay! Yay! Yay!

My brilliant child, Cael, was easily able to tell us the moral of the story.  For those of you who aren’t as familiar with your Bible stories, Cael can tell you that the rainbow is God’s promise to never flush the earth again.

But even my brilliant children couldn’t outshine Kate, my favorite for the day.  Kate’s a woman who catches on quick, who understands power, who knows what she wants.

The final time we reenacted Noah’s Ark, I assigned roles just like I had every time.  We had Cael playing Noah.  We had a tigow, a bode (bird), a mouse and a dog.

Then I asked Kate, What animal do you want to be?

Kate, without hesitation: I don’t want to be an aminal.

Me: Okaaay… what do you want to be?

Kate:  I want to be GOD… turning to Cael and pointing at his nose… Now go build me an ark!

Ahhh.  A girl after my own heart.