WHO IS GOD?

That was the question Bella asked her dad during dinner this week. I started explaining that God is the name many people give the person or entity or power or force that created this world and everything on it. "God made everything? How?" Well, yes, some people say so. The earth, the mountains, the clouds, the oceans, the jellyfish, the dogs and cats. But I'm not sure how. Maybe He waved his arms or His thoughts became reality... "But not parrots. We know where they come from." Wait. Where do parrots come from? "From the store where they have the cats and mice." Well, yes, we can buy those things. But who made the first parrot, or the first cat or dog, or the first person? "Did God make this building? Well, no. Someone like moomy designed this building, and then a team of people looked at the plans and constructed... "Mommy built this building!?" No, not this building. But there are buildings on this planet that she did design. "What about the floor? Did God make this floor? And that lamp? And this table?" Well, they are man made, but... "And who made all those records? Why do we have all those records?" Well... wait, do you think we have too many records? "Yeah." I was thinking of getting rid of some. How many should I get rid of? "Maybe, like, 10." There are over 2,200 records on the shelves, I told her. I could take away 10 and she would never know. The conversation devolved a bit from there, but she is now into the idea of reincarnation and wonders if she is nice what she might come back as. A butterfly? A flower? She's four-and-a-half.