It's the end of the world... again

Growing up in a religious home, I've been hearing about the end of the world since I was a little girl. In my early 20's, I met this guy who wanted to get married but not have kids because the world would end soon and he didn't want his kids to go through the ordeal and mayhem that would come about - really?! Plus, I remember him scaring the heck out of me saying that I did not want to be pregnant during the end of the world. Are you kidding me??? Picture me running (not fast enough as it turned out, but still... it could have been worst!)

Well, it seems we dodged another highly hipped doom's day. My kids, just a couple of weeks shy of being 11 years old, got a bit concerned about the whole deal. Friday night, presumably the day before the "end of the world", I tried to ease their fears by reminding them that the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour of the second coming of Jesus Christ, or the rapture (when the 144,000 chosen ones are taken to heaven) and the subsequent end of the world. Therefore, the minute someone or some group of zealots start naming a date, you can rest assured it's not happening (maybe the day after, but certainly not that day - but I did leave that footnote out of the conversation to avoid panic). My boy, ever the problem solver - there's a reason we call him little McGiver - lights up and says that all we have to do then, is to remember to say it's the end of the world every day so that it does not happen. It's a theory.

My little girl, however, was a little harder to pacify. She seemed to understand the point at the time, but the next day showed signs of growing concern. Saturday morning, "D" day, I had to go teach a Jazzercise class, while hubby took our boy to Opening Day of baseball season. She had to go with them, and I was to meet them there immediately after my class. Since baby girl does not play, she always brings her Nintendo DS and/or a book to read while we are at games. When I get there, I look down at her lap and notice her Nintendo and a book. I know immediately what book it is, but I have to ask anyway, so I say "What did you bring to read today?" It's her Bible, and she just looks up at me and smiles, to which I say "I see you're trying to get on God's good side anyway, huh?! Gotta give you points for thinking ahead!"

Well, we're all still here. Thank you God for another beautiful day!