Welcome to the Kingdom, sweet Miriam!

So I haven’t been feeling very well the last few days.   Last night, I just wanted to get the kids into bed.  I gave our two little girls, Miriam (age 5), and Angela (age 4), a quick bath because Miriam has eczema that flares up when she isn’t bathed.

After the bath, Miriam said she had to use the potty.  Ok, sigh...I just wanted them to go to bed!  I got Angela dressed and tucked her into bed.

Miriam was still hanging out on the potty and suddenly started asking me all these DEEP questions about sin and  heaven and salvation!  I sat down on the floor of the bathroom and we talked about how everyone sins and we can only be saved by the blood of Jesus, who died for our sins.  Miriam said, “Well, Naomi is a Christian and Lydia is a Christian and Isaac is a Christian and Joseph is a Christian, but you don’t know about me and Angela and Sarah.”  So I said, “Well, would you like to ask Jesus to be your Savior so you can be a Christian?” She said yes.  So after she got off the potty and brushed her teeth and got dressed, she asked Jesus into her life.  It was her own little prayer...something like “God, I want to follow you and I want you to be my Savior.”

I know this isn’t “it” and we still need to encourage her to walk with the Lord, but it was so sweet and wonderful that she had the desire. I am so thankful that I was right there and available for her to talk about the Lord. 

I feel like this special time was a particular gift because the Lord has been showing me something this week.

I read an article by a homeschooling advocate who said that often older children gets lots of training and instruction in Christianity, but the younger ones sometimes do not as the parents get busier and more tired :-).

I was reminded again that my biggest priority for my children is to teach them about the Lord.    Yes, academics are important.  Food is important.  A house clean enough to live in is important.  It is important to discipline the children and teach them to work hard. Those are all important.

But the MOST important thing of all is teach our children about Jesus and His life and His death on the cross for our sins.  Nothing else comes close.

I think it is easy to believe our kids will "catch the truth" and perhaps they will. But my discussions with my little ones shows they sometimes get some pretty strange ideas.  Kevin and I are here to help them learn what is true.

Miriam in particular is a "budding Pharisee".  She is very rules oriented and part of our discussion last night focused on "being a good person".  She and many children (and adults) tend towards the idea that "good people go to Heaven."

We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  All of us.  Those of us who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior have the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us do what is right.  We strive with our wills to do what is right.  Many of us are "good people".

But many non Christians are "good people" too in the sense that they are caring and compassionate and work hard.  But we all have sinned.  We all are separated by that sin.  We all need Jesus.

In our current culture, that's a counter cultural message.  I am not God and I don't know what He does about those who have not heard.  I do believe that somehow, everyone who is saved must go through Jesus because Jesus said just that, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

So I am encouraged again to ''be there" for our children as they ask the tough questions, as they need me and Kevin to extend grace and mercy for their failures, and as we hold them accountable for their sins.

We are not the Holy Spirit and I have faith that HE will draw the children to Himself.  But we are part of the equation for our children.  And that is a privilege.