Psalm 143:8 and Lucas

I am breaking my own protocol here, because usually on Sunday mornings I "fast" from using the computer before church.  But this is too important to record for myself and Daniel, for Lucas, and for our family, so I'm giving myself a pass.

For the last several mornings, Lucas has been waking up earlier and earlier.  Our rule is normally that he needs to stay in bed until 7:00 (and, no, that rule hasn't been followed completely in the last few days), so, this morning when he came to find me at 5:45, I asked him if he wanted to go back to his own bed or to climb in bed with me.  He picked my bed.  (No surprise there!)

I told him he had to lie still and he did until about 6:15.  (And, really, I have to give the boy credit.  Being that still for a half an hour when you're three is a pretty big deal, I'd say.)  At that point, he rolled over and whispered, "Hey, Mama, I love God."  I will admit that my very first initial reaction wasn't to encourage conversation, but then I decided (certainly via the prompting of the Holy Spirit and not my own sinful heart) to talk with my son.  The conversation continued like this:

Me:  Lucas, that makes me so happy to hear!  Do you know that God loves you, too?  He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to our world so that we could live in Heaven with God forever!

L:  Thinking and nodding.

Me:  And Jesus can live in our hearts if we ask Him, too.  And if we do, someday He will come back and take us to Heaven with him.

L:  Yeah, He can live in our hearts.

Me:  Would you like Jesus to live in your heart?  Would you like to ask Him to live in your heart?

L:  Yes!


I helped him pray this morning to ask Jesus into his heart.

Me:  That's it!  That's all it takes!  Jesus lives in your heart now, too!

L:  No words.  Just a huge grin and a huge hug for me.

Me:  Do you know that when we trust Jesus, He will bring us to Heaven with him someday.  It makes me so happy that you will be there, because Papa and I will be there, too!  And Grandma and Grandpa!  And Uncle Glen and Auntie Christina!  And so many other people we love so much.  We all get to be there forever and have a huge party together with God.

L:  Mama, is Jesus going to take us there now?

Me:  No, Sweet Pea, not yet.  We have to wait a while.  We don't know when we'll get to go there.

L:  Mama, is Heaven where God lives very far away?

Me:  Yes, it's very far away.  But we're all going to be there together.

L:  Okay!

I know this child is only three years old.  I know that he doesn't understand the theological concepts of sin and salvation.  I know that he can't wrap his brain around the concept of eternity or Heaven (not that I can, really, either).  But I do know that Jesus calls the little children to come to Him, and I know that He asks all of us to have such childlike faith.  So I'm trusting God that He heard Lucas' prayer and that He will honor it.  I'm praying that Lucas will grow in faith and that he will trust Jesus all of the days of his life.  Frankly, I've been praying for this day longer than I've been praying for Baby 2.  And this prayer being answered is such a blessing to my soul.  Lord, help me to teach my son about You and help me show him Your love.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8