Asking Jesus Into Her Heart
Tonight was a very tender and sweet time. Jeremy was reading with Julia and I was reading with Riley. We finished reading a few Disney stories and then opened the Bible. Every night we read a story from the Bible and talk about it. She really likes the comic strip Bible on Jeremy's iPad and they read that each night. I like to read the Jesus Storybook Bible and we were reading from that tonight. Riley chose the story of John writing Revelations.
Before we started to read, we got to talking about Heaven and how what the Bible says is true. It's not made up. Riley said "It's real!" And we talked shortly about Jesus. Riley said that she loves Jesus. So I asked her if she wanted to follow Him and if she wanted Him to be her God. She said that she did and that she wanted to do what God tells her to do and to live like God wants her to live. She said something about how she wanted to be just like Jesus. So I talked with her about what it means when you ask Jesus to live in your heart and to be your God. I told her that it means that you do your best to follow Him and to live like He showed us to live. And it means that you trust Him and live by faith. Which means you don't always see Him. I asked if she could see Him now.
She smiled and said "No. Wait Mom! I do see Jesus in this room!"
I said "Where is He? Look and show me where He is."
She pointed at her heart and looked down and said "He is in my heart, Mom!"
I asked her if she truly wanted to follow Him and live like Jesus. She said "Yes." So I prayed and she repeated the words after me. As we were praying, Jeremy and Julia walked in. Jeremy recognized what we were doing (of course) and said "ahhhhhh...." We had actually thought that she was going to pray this several nights ago, but when Jeremy and Julia came in so that all of us could be a part of it, everything went crazy and Julia was hard to contain and the right moment passed by. So we went with it knowing it would be the right time when Riley initiated it and was ready.
After we prayed, Riley said "Mom, I want to go to heaven right now!! But I also don't want to go to heaven right now. There are two things. One is that if I go to heaven, I could see Jesus right now! But you see, the other thing is that I really want to stay here and be with my Mom and Dad." As she said this, she got extremely teary eyed and then lay her head on my shoulder.
I told her that I understood and that one day Jesus would come back. Riley then said "Oooohhh!!! I want to be here and see Him come back to Earth!" I told her I did too, but that if we had already died on earth, that God would raise our bodies up to live with Him. That we would get to live with Him forever no matter how it all happens. And that one day, she would be with us in heaven and we'd all be together there. She laughed her uncomfortable/nervous/happy laugh and hugged me.
I am so very thankful for such a tender-hearted and amazing little girl! I can't wait to see what God does in her life!
Before we started to read, we got to talking about Heaven and how what the Bible says is true. It's not made up. Riley said "It's real!" And we talked shortly about Jesus. Riley said that she loves Jesus. So I asked her if she wanted to follow Him and if she wanted Him to be her God. She said that she did and that she wanted to do what God tells her to do and to live like God wants her to live. She said something about how she wanted to be just like Jesus. So I talked with her about what it means when you ask Jesus to live in your heart and to be your God. I told her that it means that you do your best to follow Him and to live like He showed us to live. And it means that you trust Him and live by faith. Which means you don't always see Him. I asked if she could see Him now.
She smiled and said "No. Wait Mom! I do see Jesus in this room!"
I said "Where is He? Look and show me where He is."
She pointed at her heart and looked down and said "He is in my heart, Mom!"
I asked her if she truly wanted to follow Him and live like Jesus. She said "Yes." So I prayed and she repeated the words after me. As we were praying, Jeremy and Julia walked in. Jeremy recognized what we were doing (of course) and said "ahhhhhh...." We had actually thought that she was going to pray this several nights ago, but when Jeremy and Julia came in so that all of us could be a part of it, everything went crazy and Julia was hard to contain and the right moment passed by. So we went with it knowing it would be the right time when Riley initiated it and was ready.
After we prayed, Riley said "Mom, I want to go to heaven right now!! But I also don't want to go to heaven right now. There are two things. One is that if I go to heaven, I could see Jesus right now! But you see, the other thing is that I really want to stay here and be with my Mom and Dad." As she said this, she got extremely teary eyed and then lay her head on my shoulder.
I told her that I understood and that one day Jesus would come back. Riley then said "Oooohhh!!! I want to be here and see Him come back to Earth!" I told her I did too, but that if we had already died on earth, that God would raise our bodies up to live with Him. That we would get to live with Him forever no matter how it all happens. And that one day, she would be with us in heaven and we'd all be together there. She laughed her uncomfortable/nervous/happy laugh and hugged me.
I am so very thankful for such a tender-hearted and amazing little girl! I can't wait to see what God does in her life!
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