---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My son called to me that God was inside…"
description: "\"My son called to me that God was inside his red fire engine. He wanted to show me. I did move as fast as I could, spilling like water through the kitch..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg"
---

#  My son called to me that God was inside his red fire…

![“My son called to me that God was inside his red fire engine. He wanted to show me. I did move as fast as I could, spilling like water through the kitchen door into a summer day, but God had left by the time I got there. My son smiled, told me I'd missed him by seconds.” quote by Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg)

> “My son called to me that God was inside his red fire engine. He wanted to show me. I did move as fast as I could, spilling like water through the kitchen door into a summer day, but God had left by the time I got there. My son smiled, told me I'd missed him by seconds.”

[Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A child's vivid imagination of divine presence is fleeting, and adult urgency fails to capture it, highlighting the gap between innocence and adult preoccupation.

**In simple terms:** A child saw God in a fire engine; the adult missed it.

Key Takeaway

Cherish moments of wonder before they slip away.

Themes

innocence spirituality urgency missed moments

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

poetic spiritual

When to use this quote

- family interaction
- spiritual reflection
- parental awareness

Key Concepts

imagination divine presence time perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How often do we overlook simple miracles?
- What can we learn from a child's view of the sacred?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may over‑literalize a child's play, limiting broader interpretation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Called God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-god-387019/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Engines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engines/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-inside-307771/) [God Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-left-286206/) [Kitchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kitchen/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [My son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-son/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Seconds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seconds/) [Show me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show-me/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-called-1444297/) [Spilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spilling/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Summer days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer-days/) [Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/)

## Related quotes

> [My own son called me Eddie Murphy's brother once. Once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/my-own-son-called-me-eddie-murphy-s-brother-once-once/)

[Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/)

> [My son has been called many names, accused of many horrible crimes. As a father, I've borne all the humiliation that my son has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditya-pancholi/my-son-has-been-called-many-names-accused-of-many-horrible-crimes-as/)

[Aditya Pancholi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditya-pancholi/)

> [“My mind, son. I could have called you something else but I chose Benjamin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria/my-mind-son-i-could-have-called-you-something-else-but-i-chose/)

[Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria/)

> [I want my first son to be called 'Tommy.' It will sound great, Tommy Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/i-want-my-first-son-to-be-called-tommy-it-will-sound-great-tommy/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [I'm free as a bird flying over the sea. Just can't find the summer. If there's a God in the sky or a devil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/i-m-free-as-a-bird-flying-over-the-sea-just-can-t-find-the-summer-if/)

[Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/)

> [“The god inside the man glanced at Aly. "This is your chessboard, I believe, my dear." Aly beamed at him. "So it is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/the-god-inside-the-man-glanced-at-aly-this-is-your-chessboard-i/)

[Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/)

> [God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/god-is-inside-you-and-inside-everybody-else-you-come-into-the-world/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Everybody has God inside, but not everybody is able to see God within. One can see God only when one cries for Him. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/everybody-has-god-inside-but-not-everybody-is-able-to-see-god-within/)

[Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/)

> [If you can find the God inside yourself, you can find the God inside everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/if-you-can-find-the-god-inside-yourself-you-can-find-the-god-inside/)

[Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/)

> [Imagine God inside your computer, your phone, everyone else's computer. Imagine someone who almost is the Black Corporation, with all its power and riches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-baxter/imagine-god-inside-your-computer-your-phone-everyone-else-s-computer/)

[Stephen Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-baxter/)

> [If you keep God inside your heart, there is nothing that will come into your life that you won't be able to handle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-keep-god-inside-your-heart-there-is-nothing-that-will-come/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I like people and I like them to like me, but I wear my heart where God put it, on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-like-people-and-i-like-them-to-like-me-but-i-wear-my-heart-where/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [There is a God inside my PC. An Old-Testament God with lots of arbitrary rules and utterly no mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/there-is-a-god-inside-my-pc-an-old-testament-god-with-lots-of/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [Majoring in religion, listening to TV evangelists interpret the scriptures and dictate my offerings-I found my God inside myself-in every moment and piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-ray/majoring-in-religion-listening-to-tv-evangelists-interpret-the/)

[Amy Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-ray/)

> [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

## More by Deborah Keenan

> [In poetry you can leave out everything but the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/in-poetry-you-can-leave-out-everything-but-the-truth/)

[Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

> [My children's faces are private candles i sometimes worship at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/my-children-s-faces-are-private-candles-i-sometimes-worship-at/)

[Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

> [The longing to be holy makes us weep, and we trust tears since they are made of water and come from our body, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/the-longing-to-be-holy-makes-us-weep-and-we-trust-tears-since-they/)

[Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

> [“This path, this road that is one perfect straight line even if it goes around the world through heat and fog and rain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/this-path-this-road-that-is-one-perfect-straight-line-even-if-it-goes/)

[Deborah Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

[Explore all 5 Deborah Keenan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/)

## More Doors quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [When you have counted eighty years and more, Time and Fate will batter at your door; But if you should survive to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/when-you-have-counted-eighty-years-and-more-time-and-fate-will-batter/)

[Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/)

[Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/)

> [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/)

[Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/)

> [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/)

[Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/)

> [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/)

[Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/)

> [The odor of bowel wind is known to every human, but the fragrance of book glue has crossed only a fraction of mortal nostrils.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-odor-of-bowel-wind-is-known-to-every-human-but-the-fragrance-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I had always assumed that the right way to do it was to these engineers, put them in offices by themselves with doors that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-had-always-assumed-that-the-right-way-to-do-it-was-to-these/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/)

[Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/)

> [In the beginning I was just a makeup artist and I never really pictured myself doing anything else. But now that I have so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/in-the-beginning-i-was-just-a-makeup-artist-and-i-never-really/)

[Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/)

> [I do not chase after anyone if you wanna walk out my life then I will hold the fu\*\*\*\*g door open for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/i-do-not-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-will/)

[Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/)

> [Do you know what it is sir? Do you know what the Dance Dance Revolution is? It's not an actual revolution, so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-you-know-what-it-is-sir-do-you-know-what-the-dance-dance/)

[Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/)

[Browse all 5,899 Doors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My son called to me that God was inside his red fire engine. He wanted to show me. I did move as fast as I could, spilling like water through the kitchen door into a summer day, but God had left by the time I got there. My son smiled, told me I'd missed him by seconds.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Deborah Keenan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside-his-red-fire-engine-he-wanted/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside-his-red-fire-engine-he-wanted/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/deborah-keenan-63405_doors_my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside_787404.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My son called to me that God was inside his red fire engine. He wanted to show me. I did move as fast as I…” — Deborah Keenan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Deborah Keenan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-keenan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My son called to me that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside-his-red-fire-engine-he-wanted/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-keenan/my-son-called-to-me-that-god-was-inside-his-red-fire-engine-he-wanted/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
