Angels are Rejoicing!
We were really blessed to be able to attend two Vacation Bible Schools these past 2 weeks. My own VBS at Jacobs Well, and a VBS at Crossroads Assembly of God church in Englishtown (it's where we go to MOPS during the school year). The benefit of VBS is for 3 hours your child is hearing God's word from different teachers, learning Bible verses, making crafts pertaining to the lesson, meeting new friends, and singing song praising the Lord.
Two weeks of VBS back to back means that you have heard a lot about Jesus and chances are your teacher has brought up how you can really know Jesus more, have a relationship with Him and follow Him each day.
At the beginning of this week when John was putting the kids to bed Mark started to ask him questions about heaven and following Jesus. But Mark wasn't ready to make any commitment and John didn't want to push the envelope.
By Friday, on the way to the last day of VBS (our drive is about 25 minutes) Mark brought it up with me. "Mom how can I get to heaven? I want to follow Jesus." These were his exact words. I wanted to pull the car over right then and pray with him but when I started to answer his question and explain it to him he got shy and said he would do it later before bed time.
Once we pulled into the parking lot I had him come up to the front seat and talk with me. I told him how proud I was of him and that he was making a huge decision to follow Jesus. I told him that I would pray with him right now and help him if he wanted me to. "No, I will just pray it in my heart." I said, "Mark, I think it would be best to pray it out loud so we know for sure you made this decision and so you know for a fact that you prayed this way today." I just felt like it was time to seize the moment. I do think he was a bit shy because Julia was in the car, but he was really brave and prayed his own prayer (he would NOT let me help him, which I was glad he wanted to talk to God on his own).
I really wanted to burst into tears of joy at this point but I knew he'd be like, "MOM!!!" (aka don't embarrass me). I have always wanted my kids to initiate this talk. We talk about making good choices, honoring God, and sin, and heaven and hell a lot. Julia made this decision at 3 1/2 years old but then again she has always asked questions above her age level and she pushes things. Mark is more of a laid back kid and he just takes it all in. Sometimes I don't know what he is thinking, whereas Julia lets it all out.
I've always prayed that my kids would come to faith at a young age. So have many of my friends and family for my kids. I am so very thankful that this happened. I feel like now we can continue talking more about how to obey and honor God with our life especially since now they both WANT to do so.
After we prayed Mark looked at me and goes, "Mom, now all I have to do is follow Jesus, right?" How simple is that?! The child like faith and trust is just astounding. I think we adults make it way to complicated when really salvation isn't. The ABC's of salvation:
A. Admit that you are a sinner in need of God.
B. Believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for your sins.
Marky, on August 1, 2014, you asked to be a follower of Jesus! I'm so proud of you buddy! Praying that you continue to grow stronger in Him, in love and in humility buddy. You are such a great little guy!
B. Believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for your sins.
Marky, on August 1, 2014, you asked to be a follower of Jesus! I'm so proud of you buddy! Praying that you continue to grow stronger in Him, in love and in humility buddy. You are such a great little guy!
Kristi-- That is amazing. I am so happy for you and Mark! I pray the same for my kids, but I think that they believe by default b/c we go to church, i.e. they don't really think about it. We have kind of stalled with reading the Bible with them, since we finished the kids bible and the big two don't want to go through it again. How do you keep things new with your kids, and keep them engaged? Mac is 9 1/2 and Oli is 7, and what used to come easy is now much more of a challenge.
ReplyDeleteLisa thank you for your honesty. I think everyone is unique and that God speaks to all of us in different ways. I remember asking Jesus to be my Savior at age 5 with my mom, but I wasn't positive I was a believer. Everytime my sunday school teacher asked us if we wanted to be saved I reprayed the same prayer. Finally my teacher pulled me in the hallway and said, "Kristi you don't have to keep praying the same prayer. Believe it in your heart." I was waiting for some magical moment I think. I love how mark understood that the next step is just following Him and making good choices and doing what God asks you to do. We don't read out of kid bibles anymore. In fact we read right from the Bible. I find that now my kids are ready for "more" and their questions help to guide me as to what to teach or share next. Plus we bought them both age appropriate devotionals. Do you have programs like Pioneer Girls or Awana in your area? I find fun programs like that help them to hear God's word and help them to apply it.
ReplyDeleteI will have to look into Pioneer Girls or Awanna. We go to a great church, but Mac is the oldest kid, and sometimes I think she feels too old for the Sunday School class. Getting her hooked in with an outside group sounds like a good idea.
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