My heart overflows. Appropriately on Valentine's Day, I guess.
Yesterday, I was driving the little boys to school and Miss Jodi's. It was the usual morning, packing lunches, eating cereal, the usual dose of chaos. As we were driving, all hearts were just kinda quiet. Surrender, by Planetshakers was playing in the car. Mason (4) asks, "Mom, what does surrender mean?" I proceeded to tell him that surrender means to give things up. How we give up, surrender, our hearts to Jesus. How we surrender our hearts to Jesus to be saved and go to heaven, but we also surrender our hearts to him to know him more in our lives on this Earth too." Some more quiet hearts. "Mom?" Marshal (5) says quietly - "I want to give my heart to Jesus." --- Oh my sweet boy. If I could have captured that voice. I briefly wondered in my adultish brain, "Does he even fully understand what he's saying? Does he know how miraculous, monumental, and life-changing this moment is? Ha, and should it happen in the car?" And just as quickly my heart was stirred, of course he doesn't fully understand, he has faith of a child - and this is beautiful. So I explained to Marshal that this is a very important decision, and asked if he wanted to pray. "Yes mama." And we prayed, he repeated words asking for forgiveness of sin. A five year old's prayer of repentance. A five year old's surrender to Jesus. No sooner had we prayed amen, Mason says, "I want Jesus to forgive my sins!" My Maso. I again verbalize teaching, now directed to my middlist boy. Teaching again the importance of the decision, and asked if he wanted to pray. "Yes Mama." Another prayer of surrender, another innocent boy still recognizing his need for a savior. It was the most beautiful picture I've ever seen. They were inwardly compelled toward their need for a savior. It was as if all of a sudden it made sense. The concepts and foundations they already understood: the cross, sin, God's love for us... All came together in their hearts with a deep need to surrender to Jesus. I tell you what. That is powerful.
The faith of a child -how much can we learn. They didn't have to understand EVERYTHING to believe. They only understood the truth and simplicity of the gospel: our sin keeps us from God, but surrender to Jesus fixes that. And that's more than enough. Can it be that easy? Oh you better believe it's that easy. So easy it confounds the wise, I know.
Marshal and Mason. From the day we knew of your presence in my womb, Mama and Dada have been praying for THAT day, YESTERDAY, February 13, 2014. We prayed diligently that you would know Jesus at a young age. What a miracle. What a miraculous God we serve.
Surrender, by Planetshakers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3_5RD2usVw&sns=sms
"Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6
"For it is believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:10
Well, who knew a dead hermit crab out of his shell (gross AND creepy) could make a little boy Marshal so sad, while rallying so much support from friends and family. Or that out of this grieving I would be duped into buying two more hermit crabs. Don't judge me. RIP Crabby II.
