I remember clearly where I was sitting in February of 2008 when I read the line that I am using as the title of this post...Brett and I were taking a Sabbatical, having just returned from Italy, and spending a week at the beach before we eased back into work after taking a month off. I was still a few months away from birthing my first child, but already huge, and my emotions magnified with the pregnancy.
It was in a coffee shop off of 30-A in the panhandle of Florida that I opened up my computer to read a few blogs. I checked into my friend Kadie's blog to read a precious post about her Everett confessing his belief in Jesus at a mere 4 years old. I cried so many tears of joy, I wept in fact. Because he was like my first child...he was my friend's first child! My very first friend to be pregnant. I was with her when she bought the test (and snuck it into my bag so that no one would be suspicious, although, let's be honest, I was still single, and a missionary, maybe it would have been more suspicious for people to think I might be pregnant?!) I remembered the morning sickness, the day he was born, his first birthday, and here he was, making a life-changing decision to come to a faith that would not be easy, but would be joyful for the rest of his life? I was overjoyed. I could not imagine the day that I would get to experience this with my own child.
Until 2 months ago.
And now, I can honestly say that I will spend forever with MY baby boy. Forever.
As the son of missionaries, little Harrison has been exposed to lots of Jesus talk. Not just from us, although we hope to talk to him the most about it, and hopefully live life at home in a way where he would desire to share the faith that we have. We talk to him a lot, pray with him a lot, and make LOTS of mistakes, and ask lots of forgiveness. There is so much humility in parenting, and as much as I can make excuses to myself or to my husband, when my son tells me, 'Mommy, you were wrong', It usually means I am, and I say lots of "I'm sorry's" because I can't teach him to do it if I don't.
On the eve of August 14th, just 5 days after we moved back to Florida, Brett called me into Harrison's room while he was putting him to bed. Harrison had said he wanted to have God in his heart. I told him that I could pray a prayer that he could repeat after me if he wanted Jesus in his heart. He said, "No, Mommy, you pray." I told him it wasn't a decision I could make for him, but I still prayed anyway.
2 days later, Brett and I didn't think anything of it, because we thought maybe he hadn't made that decision. But, Brett reminded me that it's not just about praying, but believing with your heart and confessing with your mouth (Romans) that Jesus is Lord. He began to ask H questions. He asked him if he believed that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, and if he believed in his heart that He is God. Yes, and yes! He then asked if he could take his toys to heaven! I told him he wouldn't need them there. He then asked about if he could take his clothes. He finally came to the conclusion that we could build a toy shelf when we get there!
Since then, he has proudly proclaimed that Jesus is in his heart.
And I'm grateful.
I pray that he will believe in Him all the days of his life.
