Talking over your head

Jesus, help me be patient when adults talk about things I don't understand. Amen!

"I have much more to tell you, but it will be too confusing right now," Jesus told His followers after a long day of teaching. "When the Holy Spirit comes, He will explain everything I've said to you, so you'll understand it better. Then you'll be closer to God."

One of the most frustrating things for a kid is when adults talk "over your head." They try to have a private conversation or talk about things you don't understand, and it just makes you more interested in figuring it out! When you can't, you get annoyed.

Jesus' followers must have felt like you. In this week's Gospel (John 15:26-27;16:12-15), Jesus has been teaching and teaching them all day, trying to cram as much knowledge into their heads as He can before He goes back to heaven.

The disciples are probably tired and confused, and Jesus can tell. He's been talking about sin and forgiveness, remembering the Ten Commandments and looking toward the future; how can they remember all of that? Besides, it's complicated stuff to understand.

When adults are talking over your head, you want to stop them and make them explain everything to you. Instead, they often stop talking altogether! That's even more frustrating, because you really want to understand.

Of course, Jesus did exactly that: He saw that His followers couldn't understand any more, so He stopped talking. But He told them that the Holy Spirit would come to them after He went to heaven and help them catch up with what they didn't understand.

That's a good idea for kids, too: If adults are talking over your head and don't want to explain, wait until later. Then, you can ask what they meant. Maybe the Holy Spirit will even help them explain!