Phil and I have been teaching the girls about who God is and what He is like since they were able to walk and talk. We have read them bible stories, modeled prayer to them, sang worship songs to them and with them. We have had a few formal lessons, and lots of question and answers sessions about topics like heaven, sin, grace, redemption, God's commandments, etc. Recently, we have been helping the girls memorize bible verses. Both girls attend church on a regular basis and are taught bible stories and biblical concept in their Sunday School classes as well.
Audrey loves singing "Jesus Loves Me," "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "This Litttle Light of Mine" and He's got the Whole World in His hands. She also enjoys several "mommy" worship songs like "Holy, Holy," "Children of God," "Joy," and "Go Tell it on the Mountain." She even has a few of the bible verses I am teaching Kristen memorized... which I think is impressive for a two year old. Her favorite verse is 1 John 3: 1 "How GREAT is the LOVE the Father has for us that we should be called CHILDREN of God." I used hand motions to help them memorize the verse and it is sooo fun to watch Audrey do them. She is so emphatic with the motions.
Kristen loves hearing, reading and telling bible stories. Daniel and the Lion's Den is one of her favorites. I have caught her telling her baby dolls the story, as well as her sister, Audrey. Kristen loves listening to her children's worship CD, her Singing Bible CD and her Songs for Samplings CD. Each one teaches or reviews either bible stories or bible verses. She also enjoys some of the same children's songs and mommy worship songs as Audrey. Kristen listens with an inquestive mind to the lyrics of the songs. I have had to hit pause on my radio many, many times to answers questions about words used in a song. For example, what is a "soul?" What is a "saint" ? Who is the Holy Spirit? What does "redeemed" mean? Why can't we go to heaven now ? What is a Christian? What does "holy" mean? What is worship? What does "awe" mean? It has been through questions like those, along with the bible stories and memory verses, that we have taught Kristen (and Audrey) what our faith in Jesus looks like and what it means to us.
We have talked about heaven and Kristen loves drawing pictures of what she thinks heaven might look like. I have read her verses from the bible that describe what we know about heaven. Kristen loves drawing the banquet table full of all kinds of foods. She also loves drawing musical notes to represent all the songs of worship we will sing to God. Audrey "helps" us draw heaven too. Her favorite part is the rainbow we usually draw above God's chair (or throne.) Both girls talk about how excited they are to go to heaven and how much fun we will have playing with Jesus and being in a place with no pain, sickness, or death. Both girls have memorized 1 Cor 2 :9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."
Dinner time is our most concentrated time together as a family. We talk aobut the highlights of our day and the things we did and the people we spent time with. We also spend time brainstorming a list of things we are thankful for. Kristen likes to play the host and asks everyone around the table what they want to thank God for . Audrey likes to say "Mommy, and Daddy, and Kristen, and Mommy and Daddy." Then Kristen will say, " and what else?" Then Audrey looks around the room and names a handful of things she sees. Then it is Mommy's turn and then Daddy's turn. After everyone has shared their list of blessings, Kristen asks us if we want to pray for anything. Kristen usually prays for children without food and her Nanna's legs (fibromylgia.) She also prays for our World Vision child Kavishka. Kristen believes in the power of God. She has memorized Luke 1 :37 "For nothing is impossible with God," and believes it. Kristen likes to tell me of the time she prayed for God to put a baby in Aunt Andi's belly and God DID and then He did something EVEN BETTER and He gave Aunt Andi (and Uncle Ben) a second baby.
Audrey has also started praying. Either Kristen or I will pray , saying one phrase at a time, and Audrey will repeat us. She loves saying AMEN.
Recently, Kristen has started asking God for forgiveness when she gets in time out. We started studying bible verses that list and explain God's commands about 6 months ago. Kristen has memorized several of them. We have talked about how our disobedience hurts God and how we have to ask Him for forgiveness. We have looked up bible verses that explain God's grace to us and how He longs for our repentence and is thrilled to offer His mercy and grace to us. Kristen is very shy about it, but she does pray for forgiveness and she always thanks God for sending Jesus to die for our sins .
On January 13, Kristen and I were singing songs before bedtime and she asked me once again what the Holy Spirit was. I gave a similiar answer to the question as I had in the past, but this night, Kristen wanted more information. Wow is the Trinity concept a hard thing to explain to a four year old. I explained to her how God is everywhere, that His Spirit, not His Body, is everywhere. And that Spirit is God.. and that Spirit is Jesus. We also talked about how the Holy Spirit can live in one's heart if the person accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. She wanted to know what the Holy Spirit did in one's heart. So I told her that the Holy Spirit helps us, counsels us in how to live, gives us power to obey God and to love people we don't feel like loving. We also talked about how He can be a comforter and friend. Kristen said she wanted the Holy Spirit to live in her heart and wanted to know how to invite Him in. So I explained to her that there is a difference in just believing in a God and believing that God is Almighty, Powerful, Wonderful, Loving , the Creator of the Universe, our Saviour and Lord. We talked about how He deserves our obedience and loyalty. I reminded her of some of our songs that use the terms "saint" or "christian." And I told her that those terms referred to people who did give their loyalty to God, who had pledged to obey Him and His way of living. I told her saints weren't perfect and sometimes they disobey God even though they try to follow His ways.. but when they did make mistakes - saints were people who regretted their disobedience and confessed their mistakes to God. I reminded her of her memory verse 1 John 1:9 "That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And I told her that if she wanted to invite the Holy Spirit to live in her heart she would have to confess to God that she had sinned (or made mistakes.) I told her she also had to ask God for His forgiveness and that she needed to pledge her loyalty to God and promise to try to obey Him in all her ways. After the explaination, I asked her if she still wanted to invite the Holy Spirit into her heart and she said yes. After she prayed the prayer of salvation, we sang a few worship songs and thanked God for His love and grace.
And last night, Kristen took her first communion. We were attending a family church service called Collide. Towards the end of the service, they offered communion. Phil participated in communion, but I stayed back with Kristen...thinking she would not want to participate.
My inquestive little girl asked me what the people were doing and why. I explained to her that communion is a symbol or reminder of Christ' s sacrifice and forgiveness. I told her by eating the bread and drinking the juice, we were meditating on what Christ did for us by dying on the cross. We talked about how our sins are forgiven by His death on the cross and I explained that it is important to remember and honor God and acknowledge how much our sins cost Him. By this time her daddy had returned and she began to talk to him for a few minutes, I think about her dress. Then she was quiet, watching the people again. A few minutes later, she asked me if she could have a piece of the bread and juice. I told her it was not just for eating, but for thanking God for His Son's death... and it would be a tiny bite. She said, "I know." I asked her if she wanted to thank God for forgiving her for her sins and she said yes. So we got up, joined the line and eventually Kristen recieved her first communion.
I am so thankful for Kristen's little heart of faith. I am so thankful that I have been used to open her eyes and heart to who God is and how much He loves her. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach and guide both of my girls on this journey of faith. I am so thankful for a God who reveals Himself to us if we seek Him. I pray for wisdom and patience and grace as I do my best in the next several years to help both of them seek Him, follow Him and serve Him.
( For my catholic relatives : At the church we now attend, children are not required to take any formal classes or become official members of the denomination to participate in communion. The only requirements for participating in communion is that the person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He died for our forgivness of sins.)
