"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son
that whoever believes in Him
will not perish but have everlasting life."
Reese asked Jesus to come into her heart today!
What an amazing day today turned out to be. Years of seeing seeds being planted in her heart, nurtured by loving Sunday school teachers, grandparents, Aunts, friends and many prayers. Reese decided she needed to ask Jesus to come into her heart and be her personal Savior today. We were doing our history lesson, it was about different religions. We were talking about how different people around the world believe and how everyone believes in/worships something. We got to talk about what we believe and why. At the end of the lesson there was paragraph about "What happens when you die" it presented some thoughts on what people think and how different cultures handle death. When we finished up the lesson I closed the book and asked Reese what she thought happened when people died. It led to a wonderful conversation about life and death and our wonderful Lord. She immediately recognized her need to have Jesus as her personal Savior & Lord of her life. (I had wondered for some time when she would come to this point in her life as I am sure most christian parents do. She never seemed to really think about it. She sits through Bible with us each day, we pray for her and over her, she has been to Sunday school since birth, and sat through our Good News Club that met last year and gave a mini invitation each week - I never saw any indication that she was ready. Just seeds being planted. Who would have known today was the day!) We talked some more, I wanted to make sure she understood what she was asking. This was what she wanted to do. We went upstairs, sat on my bed and we talked about sin, what Jesus did for us on the cross, & our need for Him. We read the Bible and we prayed. It was a sweet, sweet moment.
It brings tears to my eyes because of how amazing God is...just last night I was talking to my dad about death. He had been to a funeral of a friend of his who died last week of a massive heart attack. The man was only 49. My dad was telling about the funeral and how touching it was. He told me how another man at the funeral spoke to him about how the man who died was with Jesus and this man expressed his own desire to be in his place, there with Jesus. My dad also told me how the wife spoke about her late husband being in a better place and happy. I really felt the Holy Spirit pressing me to say something to my dad -to take this opportunity. Never really easy for me, but the thought of losing my Dad has become very real. So I took the opportunity to speak up and not let fear keep me from it. He didn't want to talk about it and made it clear. He wasn't rude at all, I just knew not to press him. I don't know if it was too real for him or what. I was a little sad last night, not satisfied with still not knowing if I will have the chance to be with my dad again if and when his time comes. Sometimes I wonder if he will ever come around.....and then there was Reese, my sweet baby girl just a few weeks shy of 6, sure and ready and undeterred from making that commitment to God. Giving her life so easily and boldly, confidently.
I pray that my dad will come around and that he too can one day confidently and boldly profess Jesus as Lord and Savior of his life. Just like his granddaughter did today. I also pray that I will listen to the Holy Spirit and take the opportunity to speak to my dad about salvation each chance I am given.
