The Beginning of Understanding


My kids are under the weather, but in spite of their coughs we needed groceries, so yesterday we packed up and headed to the grocery store. Across the street from the grocery store is a small cemetery that has sparked many questions from my new four-year-old. Here was yesterday's conversation:

N: Mommy, are people under those? (Pointing to the headstones)

Mommy: Well, their bodies are under those, but their spirit, which is the part of you that makes you feel happy, sad, and makes you be able to think and talk, is not in the body any more.

N: The bodies stay here and the spirit goes up up up.

Mommy: Yes, if you are a Christian your spirit goes up to Heaven. If you are not, then you go to hell. (upon saying this I regretted it, because I think I need to spend more time in prayer before introducing the subject of hell. Salvation needs to come as a result of understanding sinfulness and Christ's role as redeemer, not because we want to avoid the negative of hell. Thankfully, there was no question about it.)

N: Am I a Christian?

Mommy: The way you become a Christian is by asking Jesus to be your savior. Have you done that?

N: No.

(Long pause)

N: But I'm not a teenager yet.

And that was that. Her logic is quite interesting. Hopefully at some point we can discuss that you don't have to be a teenager to be saved from your sinfulness.
It struck me this morning that I was four-ish when I realized my sin, that I needed a savior, and accepted God's gift of salvation. Now that we are out of the baby stage, it is time for some more focused training for my darling daughter. Her understanding to the gospel gets a little more clear every day.

Comments

The Harrisons said…
She is such a deep thinker! You are doing a great job as a mommy!!!
Unknown said…
Yes you were around 4 when you trusted the Lord as your Savior- Thankfully for Natalie you are far more prepared for those hard questions than I was as a brand new Christian myself at that time.

I love you Nicole you are doing a WONDERFUL job.
MOM
Janna said…
Amen! It's just the like the Bible said, Even a child is know by his doings and His truth is so simple even a child can understand.

Will pray for truth to keep penetrating her heart!

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