It’s almost the end of the year which means it’s time for top ten list after top ten list. Popularity or notoriety often dictates who or what makes the list. In our fast-paced society who/what topped the lists of 2016 probably won’t make the top twenty of 2017. Still, there is one list that stays the same. Every time a list is made for the top letters used in the English language, one letter always comes out on top.

Monday I had the pleasure of babysitting my granddaughter all by myself.

My wife has been present every time my granddaughter has been left in the care of a grandparent on my side of the family. This is a fact established by circumstance not necessity. Just because I am a firm believer that I have changed my lifetime quota of diapers when raising my kids and therefore should never have to change another one, doesn’t mean I am not willing to make an exception for my grandkids.

So as you can see, there is no reason to exclude me from babysitting my granddaughter on my own. The truth is, it’s just worked out that my wife happened to always be there when we had our granddaughter. By the way, she does not share my diaper changing rule, as a matter of fact she has embraced diaper duty with our grandchildren. For purposes of keeping my relationship with my wife on good terms I will call her diaper changing “acts of service” instead of “the stupidest volunteer position she has ever taken on.”

Back to my first solo babysitting gig for my granddaughter.

I had the time of my life! We read a book (over and over again), we looked out the window at the snow and the birds, I mesmerized her with my disappearing coin act (hint, always wear an oversized hoodie with loose sleeves) and I gave her a couple of cookies as per the grandparent code – sugar them up and send them home! We played in a box, ripped up some paper, played with a stuffed animal and talked about the deep questions that keep an almost two year old girl up at night.

It was these deep discussions that made me aware of the most important letter in the alphabet.

I tried to give the easiest to understand answers to all of her questions. I made sure that the words were simple and explanations concise. It appears that my answers did not satisfy her quest for knowledge nor did they fully address her desire to know the reason behind everything.

I learned two things from my babysitting conversations with my granddaughter:

1. The most popular letter in the alphabet is the letter Y. Every time I would tell her something or point something out, she would say Y.
2. “Because God made it that way,” seemed to be the only way to fully answer the question Y.

Y is not only the most popular letter for children, it is the most popular letter for everyone.

Y am I unhappy?

Y am I sick?

Y am I poor?

Y am I scared?

Y did my spouse leave me?

Y did I get fired?

Y was I abused?

Y did that person die?

Y are people sexually assaulted?

Y are people murdered?

Y do people lie?

Y is there war?

Y is there racism?

Y….?

Y….?

Y…?

Y…?

Y…?

Sin is Y this life is full of pain and suffering.

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God*

Jesus is Y the next life doesn’t have to be full of pain and suffering.

… all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.*

Faith is Y we are able to benefit from Jesus’ pain and suffering.

…This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.*

God made it that way is Y the redemptive work of Jesus addresses our sin.

 

Note: the author of this post is aware that Y does not spell WHY, which may lead you to ask WHY or Y did he use Y instead of WHY, to which he would answer “because God made it that way” – it worked on his granddaughter!

 

*Romans 3:23-24 View this passage and much more at BibleGateway.com