What IS That---Washed Away?

My little Miss Mara is amazing.  She's cute, meaner than a striped snake and wired completely differently than Isaac.  Only recently have I begun to understand her wiring. 

Isaac tries to understand how things work. 

Mara tries to understand why.

Isaac makes statements.

Mara asks questions.

Lately, the questions she's been asking have left me without the words to answer her.  At least for a moment.  She is fascinated with God and everything God-related, and yesterday while listening to the radio in the car, she asked "What is that?  Washed away?"  When I didn't respond in 2.3 seconds she asked again, a little more loudly..."WHAT IS WASHED AWAY?  WHAT IS THAT?"

I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't answer her for a second.  I was choking back tears. Trying to catch my breath.  Sometimes it's her simplest questions that cause the deepest introspection. 

What IS that- washed away?

How do you explain that concept--- that we're separated from God by sin, then washed clean of our stains by the blood of Jesus--- to a 5 year old?  How can you explain the gift of redemption that we're given through the atoning death of Jesus?  I'm only beginning to understand, so how do you break that down into terms that a child can grasp? 

I fought the lump in my throat and told her that mankind is naughty.  She knows that term---naughty.  I told her that we're ALL naughty and when we disobey God, it upsets Him.  And eventually, we ALL have to make a choice:  To join God's team or to join the World's team by default.  I asked her if she remembered when Mommy was baptized----"yep, she said, in the 'big room'"----I told her that was the day I joined God's team and that day my wickedness was washed away.  That day Jesus washed away my naughtiness and God wasn't upset any longer. 

She was quiet for just a second.   

"Oh" she said.  "So that's why Daddy got baptized.  He joined God's team and got washed away."