The Faith of a Child

Last night was a pretty big night for our family.  One of those nights that I dream about, and hope and pray for the chance to experience.  Last night my sweet Son3 prayed for Jesus to forgive him of his sins.  This moment is so sweet to have the opportunity to speak about, and I can almost hear the chorus of angels celebrating with us.

Son3 is six years old.  Which is pretty young for such a BIG life decision, I know.  The thing you have to understand is that the truth of who Jesus is, and the reality of Heaven has been a huge part of this child's life since before he was even born.  There is just no question in our family about the reality of Jesus, and what He did for us.

The thing we have to wait for, is for our kids to come to an understanding of sin, and why we need salvation from it.  And that's a big concept for a young child, and that's why that whole age of accountability thing is in place.  God knows that children have to grow to a certain maturity level to be able to understand the depth of these concepts, and this timing varies with each child.

So, what brought about this big moment last night?

Son3 had a moment at dinner that was hard for him.  He deals with a great deal of anxiety...much like his mom.  Social anxiety in particular.  Again...much like his mom.  And he got really embarrassed at a couple of things that were said.

Daddyfour noticed that Son3's shirt was way too big.  So, he looked at the tag, and realized that the shirt was sized big enough to fit our 12 yr old.  So, we laughed about how that ended up in Son3's closet and that he was wearing it without even knowing it was so big.

That really embarrassed him.  He does not like to make mistakes, and really doesn't like it if he feels people are laughing at him. So, this was just a very mortifying moment for him.

Well, very soon after that, he hit his hand down on his plate and not meaning to, made some oranges go flying in the air a little.  Since it was another unexpected and surprising moment for all of us, we laughed again.  But sadly, for him, this was ANOTHER HUGE EMBARRASSMENT!  So, he starts crying because he doesn't like everyone laughing.

I felt for him because I do understand what he feels in moments like this, but I also need him to learn to not be so serious and learn to laugh at himself a little, and not take mistakes so hard.  Because mistakes are inevitable!!

So, that led to a conversation with him later.  I was hugging him, and reminding him how much I loved him, and really making sure he knew that.  And that no mistake he could make would ever change how awesome I thought he was because I loved him because of who he was, not the things he does.

And then I led in with, "And you know who loves you even more than me?"  He looked confused.

I said, "Jesus does.  He loves you even more than me."

This was not an unusual or new statement in our house.  I tell them this truth all of the time, but this time Son3's response was very different than usual.  With a very curious look to his face, he asked, "How does Jesus love me even MORE than you?!"

So, I started telling him the familiar story, but this time I felt the tug of the spirit letting me know that I needed to make sure that this kid REALLY UNDERSTOOD what I was saying.

I explained sin, and how everyone sins.  I let him know that even I have sinned, and gave clear examples of my own sin.  And then I asked him he had sinned, and had him identify for me ways that he had sinned.  Not so that he would get in trouble, but just so that I would know for sure that he knew what sin was.  So, with hesitation...because who wants to admit that they do bad things...he finally admitted to his own sins.

Then we went over the impact of sin on our lives.  The fact that no sin is allowed in Heaven.  And since we had both admitted that we had both sinned, what did that mean for us?  Well, it meant, we wouldn't be allowed in Heaven either, and in fact, that the place for sinners is actually Hell, which we know is a place we do NOT want to be.

And that's where the good news of Jesus comes in.  Jesus died because of the sins of all people, and through His sacrifice, WE can be forgiven of these sins.  All we have to do is accept that Jesus is who He claimed to be...the true Son of God, and that He alone has the power to take away our sins, and reconcile us back to God, so that we can one day go to Heaven too.

So, after fully discussing all of this, Son3 said, "But, I do believe in Jesus?  So, won't I get to go to Heaven too?"

I said, "Well, you know, there is one way we can know for sure.  All we have to do is ask Him?"

So, I said that he would need to pray a prayer from his heart, that I couldn't pray it for him because Jesus needed to hear it from him, and in that prayer he needed to tell Jesus that he was sorry for sinning, and ask God to forgive him, and just let him know that he really does believe that He is God's son, and that He saved us from sin by dying on the cross.

With that, we both closed our eyes and held hands, and I let Son3 pray.  He, being a VERY TIMID little boy, quietly said, "Dear God, I'm sorry that I sinned.  Please forgive me.  Please save me.  I love you, Jesus.  Amen."

And then I gave him a hug, and I said, "You know what?  The bible says that anyone who prays and asks Jesus to forgive them of their sins, will be saved.  So, you just got saved!"  I hugged him and told him I was so proud of him!

Then I let him go play, and he was just giddy.  He was skipping around, and I could tell that a peace had come in his heart too.  An assurance that yes, he does love Jesus, and Jesus has forgiven him from all the sins he's done, and all he may still do.

I still have lots of shepherding to do with him and all of my children, but I am so glad to know they have hearts open to receiving our Lord Jesus Christ.  There is just nothing more important to my heart as a mother.  I have prayed for this day, and so thankful it has come to be.

We will be setting up time to speak with our Children's Pastor soon, and make sure that he does have a full understanding of what all of this means, and if we all feel he is ready, we will be preparing him for an official baptism so that he can proudly announce to all of the world his faith in Jesus Christ.

A Fresh Start!

Welcome to The Mamafour Journals!!

What is a Mamafour, you ask?  Pretty simple.  A Jesus loving, God fearing, stay-at-home and homeschooling, Wife to one, Mom of four!  And this is my journey...that is busy, and messy, and crazy, and funny, and scary, and lovely, and has just been overall BLESSED so much more than I deserve.

I'm a writer at heart.  For whatever reason, God made me too timid to comfortably speak face-to-face with people, yet I still have this strong need as well, to express myself and share my life and experiences with others through the one way that I do feel confident communicating...the written word.

Sadly, the written word doesn't always convey all the truth and flavor that can come from real-life interaction, but it's the best I can do.  So, as you read my thoughts and words, if they can be taken in two different ways, CHOOSE to believe that they were meant in the best way.  Because more times than not, that is exactly how they were meant.

Anyway, what is The Mamafour Journals about?  Life.  However, it comes at me.  You will get to live life through my eyes, and hopefully learn right along with me through my own experiences.  Experience the struggles a Christian, homeschooling mom in this day and age faces. Take comfort that perfection does not exist here, and that I am merely trying to do my best with this life and the gifts that God has given me.

How often will I be checking in?  I don't know.  As often as I need to, I suppose.

Without further ado let me introduce you to the daily cast members.

Of course, there's me...Mamafour.  I am a mid-30s gal, that loves Jesus, my family, reading, writing, HOT BATHS, and just LEARNING!!

Then there's also Daddyfour.  We've been married for 14 years, (started dating in high school--yep!!), and he blesses us with the ability for me to stay home with the kids and homeschool them, while he works locally as an engineer.

Son1, the ALMOST teenager.  He enjoys computer games and Boy Scouts.

Son2, the new 10 year old.  He is a Jack of all Trades, but particularly loves Japanese Anime right now.  This Pokemon, Bakugan, Yu-Gi-Oh...

Son3, the sweetest 6 year old.  He loves cars, basketball, and computer games.

And last is our OnlyDaughter.  She's the baby, but not a baby anymore as she's almost 4 now.  The only girl of our bunch, but truly the girliest girl you will ever meet despite that fact!!

Now that you know a little about who we are, let the fun begin!!