He Lives

If you've been around Spike in the last couple of months, you probably know that he's been a bit obsessed by death.  Once, during the middle of a dinner party, he loudly informed his friend's grandma, "You're going to die, Grammy Lou."  Yikes.  That was awkward. 

He's had lots of questions and comments, usually coming out of nowhere, like the other day when we were out shoveling/playing in the snow and out of the blue he questions me for the 100th time, "Am I going to die, Mom?"  But now I can't help but look back and think that his interest/fear was all a part of God's good timing. 

A couple weeks ago, Isaac picked out a Bible story book for his bedtime reading.  We haven't read much from this book because it really doesn't pull any punches and the Bible is scary for sensitive little souls like my Spike's. (We're still avoiding the Abraham/Isaac story for obvious reasons -- Yikes!) But that night we read the Christmas story, a couple stories about Jesus' life, and then story of his death on the cross.  This was not a good place to stop, so we plowed through to the Easter story. 

I hope I never forget that night.  This was Isaac's first real and most thorough exposure to the story of Christ coming back to life, and after his recent obsession with death, it couldn't have come at a better time.  To see that Jesus overcame this scary thing that's been plaguing his little mind was so exciting to him.  He asked several questions and we talked about what it all meant for a few minutes.  Then I told him that Daddy and I had a relationship with Jesus because of what He did for us, and that I hoped when he was older he would accept Jesus into his heart too. 

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Isaac closed his eyes and prayed, "Dear Jesus, please come into my heart. Amen."  Now I know he can't possibly fully understand all that that means, but I also know that his little prayer was pleasing to God, who is obviously working in my little boys' lives even now. 

Possibly the best part about having read that story is how excited Isaac was to tell people about it.  When we were iChatting with his grandparents the next night, he was like a little evangelist.  "Did you know....?"  If he had been a cartoon character, his eyebrows would be drawn above his head, he was so excited.  He even had to run upstairs to find the book so he could show it to them.  And I love how he remembers bits of language from the text, so when he retells it, he'll say, "And then Jesus gave a loud cry and then he died..."  While we were still iChatting, Spike's Uncle Joshy came over and he recounted the whole tale to him too. 

I said to Josh semi-sceptically, "He understands it as well as a three year old can." And Josh wisely countered, "That's really all the better any of us needs to understand it."  Praise God for the faith of a child!