My first grade friend, Caroline, stunned me with her artwork last week. There’s a lot to love here and a lot to learn, even (or especially) for adults.

It is God! and meshe titles it, God and Caroline, made in each other’s image. Both with triangle dresses and great fashion sense. Both with smiles on their faces, sturdy shoes, and nice hairdos.

See any differences? God is much bigger (God is great, after all) and has big daisy hands, ready to wave to you or give you a hug, while Caroline’s are behind her back. Or maybe she hasn’t gotten around to drawing them yet.

“I love the way God is good!” Caroline writes. “I love the way God can make everything.”

I do too, Caroline. And I love the way you made the two of you together. It is God! and me.

God and me, or God and you. When we drag other people into the middle of the relationship, things can get wonky and skewed.

I was thinking about Caroline’s artwork as I read the children’s responses from yesterday’s story in Sunday school. It was one of our Eastertide stories, the one about the miracle of the nets, how Jesus appeared after his resurrection as a stranger on the beach and told his disciple fishermen to cast their nets on the other side. Immediately the nets became full, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Afterwards, Jesus speaks to Peter about feeding his sheep, and hints that Peter, too, may die for his faith. Then, as they walk together, Peter notices that John is following them. “What about him?” he asks Jesus.

“What’s it to you?” Jesus answers. “Just follow me.”

When the children were asked about what they could learn about how to follow God from Jesus’s answer, one fifth grader said, “Mind your own business.”  Yes, I hear you, kids. Let’s stop taking note of what other people are doing or not doing and just focus on our own relationships with God.

What’s it to you? Just follow me.

It’s God! and me. That’s all I need.

Thanks, Caroline!