3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth.
Grub 2, our 7 year old recently asked God into his life to have control and use him as He wants.
Grub 2 has been asking a lot of questions, has been saying it he wanted to be baptized. Terry and I could both see the Holy Spirit working on him. The child was miserable, his attitude was horrid. He was fighting giving God control.
Now in our home, we believe even a child can understand allowing someone else to have control of their lives even when it's not what you want. Isn't that what we as parents teach them when we discipline them. So we have been talking a lot around here about what giving God control means. We have gone over hymns that speak on the subject, and Grub 2 has hung on every word. Once he told me "Mom it just doesn't work" I asked him what doesn't work and here was his reply. "Well, I keep asking God to come into my heart, but He doesn't do it, WHY?" A child can grasp more than we give them credit for. Why? I sat down with my young son and explain how God sees our hearts, and He knows when we are just praying the words, and when we pray the words from our hearts and truly mean them. We watched him for days as he chewed this over in his young mind. Occasionally he would come and ask us more questions. On the evening of Feb. 12, 2012 as I was putting the kids to bed, tucking them in and each doing bedtime prayers. My Grub 2 had a look on his face that said a lot was on his mind. So I asked him if he had any questions. He said so let me get this straight "Being baptized isn't what saves me, it shows everyone that I am saved. And God sees my heart, and He won't come in my heart unless I really want Him to have control, even when I don't like what He may say I need to do?"
For a 7 year old I think he put that quite well. I prayed with the other children and came back to him and asked if he needed anything else. "Well, I forgot what the right words are you are supposed to say." I explained that when you really want God in your heart and life you don't need the right words because God will help you, and you'll know what to say. So my little boy bowed his head and prayed the sweetest prayer I have ever heard. When he was finished he looked up at me, and the peace on his face was so evident. I asked him how he felt. His reply "DIFFERENT" I asked him how... while pointing from his stomach up to his heart he said "Well, it started here and went all the way up to my heart"
What joy a parent feels to know their child walks with the Lord. Now Grub 2 had prayed a few years ago with me, and while he asked for God to come into his life, it was with little understand and with the thought of I don't want to go to hell. The prayer my son just prayed was his moment of true salvation. When he had the knowledge and became accountable before God.
The changes in Grub 2 have been astonishing. It as if having a different child in my home. Now he's not perfect, but there is without a doubt a life altering change in our son's life.
I know all of you will rejoice with us, and welcome our son into the fold of God's family.