Yesu Marathaven

This one isn't really a story....this past Winter I sang a Malayalam song at a friend's wedding and it became a really hit for Eli....he was running around the house singing it for quite a while. It's appeal seems to have died down a little, but I record the lyrics here for posterity...

Sarva srushtikalumonnai pukazhtheedunna
Srashtavine sthuthikkum njan
Ee kshonithalathil jeevikkunna nalellam
Ghoshicheedum ponnu nadhane

Yesu marathavan, Yesu marathavan
Yesu marathavan Ha, ethra nallavan
Innumennum koodeyullavan

Thante karuna ethrayo athivisishtam
Than snehamascharyame
En langhanangalum en akruthyangalmellam
Akatiya thante snehathal

Roga sayyayilenikku sahayakanum
Rakkala geethavumavan
Nalla vydyanum divya oushadhavumen
Athma sakhiumavan thanne

Thejasil vasam cheyyunna visudharothu
Avakasam njanum prapippan
Divya athmaval saktheekarichenneyum than
Sannidhiyil niruthidume

Zionil vaaniduvanai vilichu thante
Sreshtopadesavum thannu
Ha! enthoratbhutham ee vankrupaye orkumpol
Nannikondennullam thullunne

I will glorify my Creator who is praised by all the creations. I will praise his glorious name as long as live on this earth.

Chorus
Jesus is unchangeable, Jesus is unchangable
Jesus is unchangeable—Ha! what a wonderful and everlasting friend He by my side .

How precious is his mercy, how amazing is His love
His great love has removed all my transgressions and inequities (chorus)

He is my Helper when I am sick and bedridden
He is my song in the darkness of night
As the great physician with the precious ointment, He is my Soulmate (chorus)

For my inheritance with all saints living in glory
He shall strengthen me with His Divine Spirit
And Keep me ever in His presence (chorus)

For my eternal living in Zion, He called me out
And gave His precious advice
Ha! This great mercy is so wonderful that
My soul overfloweth with thanksgiving (chorus).

Idols

This morning I was playing David and Goliath with Elijah using a plastic action figure set my dad had bought him. Eli wanted to be Goliath and I was going to be David (with the Philistine and Israeli armies supporting us, of course). Well, we are all set up and then Eli grabbed one of my Israeli army guys and the following transpired:

Eli: OK Daddy. This guy is gonna be God.
Me: Oh....no buddy...we can't say that a statue is God
Eli: Yes we can, Daddy....this guy is gonna be God
Me: Well, buckwheat.....God doesn't like it if we make any statues or pictures of Him
Eli: (flipping out) But DADDY!!! This guys has to be God!!! He has to be on David's side!!!

Then it dawned on me that one of the key points of the story was that the little guy (David) was able to beat the big guy (Goliath) precisely because God was on his side. So Eli felt very adamantly that we had to be able to see God on David's side. I decided that today it was more important for him to know that God is on his side than to know that we shouldn't make any idols that represent Go.....so there was the plastic Goliath up against my David and some randomly chosen plastic action figure. It's fascinating to see how his mind works.