My biggest baby, Ty, is 7. I'm so excited to say that on Dec. 20th, he put his trust in Christ!! He's been so cautious about being called a Christian because he couldn't stand the thought of saying he's a Christian and then keep on sinning. Finally, he understood that after putting his faith in Christ, he'd have to continually pray asking for God's strength to obey. He knew and understood his need for God's power in his life after becoming a Christian. I'm so thankful for his salvation. I've always been cautious myself about when I see children "become a Christian" because I know when I was 7, I said "the prayer" (you know, the one that's NOT in the Bible)!! Obviously, there was something drawing me to want to be saved, but I know now that my understanding was just not there, so I've been hesitant to let my young children go there yet. But I know Ty understands, and I know he has a long way to go, as we all still do.
But then here comes Brett, my 5 year old. Around the beginning of February, he told me he wanted to be a Christian. He came to me on his own. We talked. Matt talked with him also. He knew the answers (which makes me more leery). I don't want my kids to just "know the answers". That's SO dangerous. But upon talking to him more that night, and more through the days to follow, I think he really understands all he needs to understand about his sin/his need/his inability, and that Jesus is the only One who can save him. And here's the great thing he asked me that let me KNOW that he honestly wants to put his trust in Christ. We were just outside playing one day, and he came and asked, "Mom, since I'm a Christian, am I going to go ahead and die right now?" I was stunned. I immediately thought, "He wants to be a Christian, even if that means he will die right now!"
I learn a lot from my kids and from their love for God and from them not being ashamed. They don't hesitate to say they are a Christian. They don't hesitate to sing songs about God really loud in a store. They aren't ashamed! They love Jesus as much as they know how at this age. They have a burden for lost people. They really really do! Just today, Matt and I were explaining Heaven to them. Heaven now...the Heaven where Maggie is. The Heaven where my papas are. And we were explaining the New Heaven that will come down to earth after this earth is destroyed. It was quite a deep conversation. Then Ty and I were talking alone right after that, continuing on the Heaven conversation. I told him that once Jesus comes back to get us, that no one else can become a Christian (I didn't go into the 1,000 year reign and all that complicated information, lol). When I said that, tears came to his eyes and he said, "But Tyler isn't a Christian!" That's his friend across the street. Ty tries so hard to talk to him about being a Christian. I said, "Doesn't that make you want to tell him more? You may tell him once and he may say "no", but tell him again, and tell him again. You never know if or when he may say "yes"!" He felt the urgency!
Wouldn't we all, wouldn't I feel the concern and urgency to share Christ with others before it really is too late??? I think we take for granted that since Christ hasn't come back yet, that it may still be a long time. But it might not be!
