A Special Day for our Kids…and Us

Usually I attempt to find a humorous life experience to share with you, but today I have concluded that this has no laughable element, although the thought of it makes me smile. For several years, Leah and I have been talking to our kids about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sins. Instead of forcing them to “pray a prayer” of repentance and belief in Him, we decided to be patient and make sure that they understood the significance of a relationship with Jesus. Last night, Leah seemed prompted that we should talk to our kids again about the gospel, so we separately talked to them. I sat down with Ty and Leah talked to Lexi. As Ty and I discussed sin and how it separates us from God, Ty honestly confessed that he had broken God’s law. He also understood that breaking God’s law meant that he would have to spend an eternity in hell. Ty even quoted some verses he had learned at church about these truths. Then we had a chance to review a story that our kids have heard numerous times – Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago as God’s Son and took upon Himself the sin of all mankind; in Ty’s words, “Jesus took away our sins on the cross.” We also recounted the fact that Jesus did not stay in the grave, but He miraculously resurrected from the dead on the third day. I asked Ty if he believed this and he acknowledged that he did. I asked him if he would like to pray and confess his sin and also his belief in Jesus. As he began praying, I could tell he meant it from his heart. After he finished praying, I asked him if he’d like to write what he did in the front of his Bible. Of course he would because he usually doesn’t get to write in Bibles. Ty began to write, in his own words, what he had done. It is his record of repentance and belief. Even though there are some misspellings and crossed-out words, it is his. As he gets older, I know doubt and sin have a tendency to creep into our lives at times and cause us to doubt our belief in Christ. However, I pray that he will rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ and not his own ever-changing feelings. I know the journey has just begun for both my son and my daughter, who also professed faith in Jesus Christ last night. Many trials, temptations, doubts, and fears await them, but I have confidence that God will deliver them out of them all (Psalm 34:19).