How do we know it's TRUE?

Today, right after the communion section of our worship started, my 7 year old leaned over and said, "How do we know all this is REAL?" and I knew what I wanted to say, but it was very hard to do mid-service, so I talked to her after the service.  She stated her question again, "I know you and Daddy have told me for a long time that God made me and I just wanted to know how do I know that this is all real?"

It wasn't until a few years ago that I could honestly answer that question.  I've known the Lord my whole life, never really questioned Him too much (other than the typical experimenting freshman year of college, testing my boundaries), but her question is one that grown-ups have all the time.  There is no simple answer, or Bible verse that can help her. 

I told her that it's totally normal to have doubts about anything in life. We are human and we want physical answers to a God who is outside of our boundaries and not something we can fully grasp until we are in our spiritual bodies.  I told her that once our pastor prayed "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief" and that was a totally acceptable thing to pray to God.  She knows He is real, she's seen Him work in her life already in her 7.5 short years on this earth.

On the way home, Daddy chimed in on her question after I explained what I had told her.  He said it was always a good idea to ask for God's help.  He also said, "Lord, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you" is a great thing to pray when we aren't sure about things.

We also talked about chance or "luck" in the world's eyes and how we believe that is God working in our lives.  How there are things that just work together for our good (Romans 8:28) and it's God's doing in our lives.  He is orchestrating things for our good.  It can seem like "bad" people have good things, like someone who steals may have lots of money or toys or a big house, but that they don't get their eternal reward of heaven.  That when they die all of those things die with them.

It was such a good chat, after such a wonderful service of having the gospel preached to our family.  I'm glad that she questions this faith that we've passed on to her, that she doesn't just superficially accept Christ because it's what we've wanted for her.  I know she's going to have a long lasting and real relationship with him, that may not always be perfect, but it will be good.

Holy Week

Being the week before Easter, my kids have been asking a lot of questions about Jesus and his death.  They waved palm branches with the other kiddos this past Sunday morning and sang Hosanna with the rest of the church.  I often wonder how much they're listening, especially to the sermon, but then my 7 year old answers the rhetorical questions and I know she's getting SOME information in there.

Then a few days later on the way home from school, my oldest asked me WHY the people went from waving palm branches and saying Hosanna to wanting to kill him just a few days later.  Thankfully our pastor had preached on that recently, so I was able to give an answer that I had just heard and not just the usual answer of "we're sinners and we mess it all up".

My fourth grade Sunday School class has been going through the Bible as "detectives" gathering clues and this past Sunday it just so happened (providence!) that we were learning about the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy that their Savior would come on the donkey.  They had learned of God's promise to Abraham that he would have many nations come from him. They had learned of God's promise that he would give his people a King that would reign forever.  But what God's people thought this King and Savior would be like did not meet their expectations.

So that was my answer to the questions.  They didn't have their expectations of what this Savior would be, so they wanted to kill him.  He didn't change their situation.  He didn't break down the corrupt political rulers.  He didn't take them out of the hands of the Romans.

And I can't help but apply this to life now.  I know when Jesus returns he will right all the wrongs (thankful for my BSF study of Revelation this year!), but if I were in their shoes, waiting for the Messiah right now to come to earth, wouldn't I expect him to change the cultural "wrongs" in our country? End abortion? Get the bad people out of office and make changes?  We are no better than those people yelling to crucify Him!

So this week I've challenged myself to think of all the wrong expectations I've had of Jesus.  Would I still follow him as my Savior if the things I thought were important really weren't?  Sometimes it is hard to put things we think are really right and true as not as important as we think they are.  I've heard it said many times that sin is the reordering of loves, taking God out of place #1 and putting something else there.  So many things that can be good things, done in love for God and for people, can be sinful if we don't have them in the proper perspective.  This is something my family is reflecting this week, as we await Sunday's good news of Christ's resurrection and all that means for hope in our future.

Welcome!

They say that the best conversations happen late at night, but with my family I've noticed they always happen in the car.  When I turn the music down, listen to my kids about how their day at school was, or what happened at recess, or what they learned about at Sunday School I can really get a feel for the heart of my children.

I'm starting this blog as an encouragement to my friends, as a reminder to myself of their child-like faith at this age, and as a journal for my kids to remember their childhood.  I hope it helps someone else along the way.

It's hard in the day-to-day of being a mom to be a good listener.  You have your list of tasks to be done, clothes to wash, errands to run, ingredients for the evening's dinner.  But if we take the time to slow down and listen, beautiful things can happen.

I read a blog post to not ask, "How was your day?" to your kids because you just get short answers like "Good" or "Bad" or that dreaded "Fine".  Maybe I just have kids who like to talk (hmmm wonder who they inherited that from?) but mine will talk my ear off, at least at this point.  I do like to ask questions that get more than one word responses, but most of the time my kids want to ask a million questions and sometimes ask more questions before I've even answered!

What follows is our story....