A child's faith

I sit here tonight - a full 6 months since I last posted on my blog.  It's funny, I write almost every day in my journal, I write curriculum for Sunday School and family devotions, and facebook status updates.  I just haven't been so good at writing here - and here is where I want to chronicle my family.

At church today they showed video highlights from our church denomination's Kids Camp the boy attended in August.  It prompted a memory, and I need to write it down.  J. was very excited and nervous about camp.  The husband had attended with him last year as a counsellor, but could not get the week off from work, hard as he tried.  J. was super excited about his counsellor when we arrived: a super young man from our church who we admire tremendously. J. also had many of his buddies in his cabin - and attended all the scheduled activities with his buddies from our church plant.

On the day of camp pick-up, the husband was out-of-town, so driving home was just the boy, the girl and I.  The boy talked all about the fun things, and then about the spiritual... I asked him if he had heard from God.  He said, "Yes.  Mom, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and I started to speak in tongues."  (Our denomination is somewhat charismatic, but not overtly).  I asked him how he felt about that, was he nervous?
"No, mom, I was so excited!  I really felt the Spirit moving.  And I feel like God has told me that my ability and passion for soccer, and music are gifts."

The boy went on to describe how he wants to be able to honour God through soccer, and how he really knows he shouldn't complain about piano lessons.  He has also been reading his Bible pretty consistently through August, and that continued through camp, and the 3 weeks since he's returned home.

The other night I got home from a late night of teaching, and the boy was still awake, reading his Bible.  He's doing a "read-through the Bible in a year" plan that he has in his "Bedroom Bible College" book by Gregg Johnson.  So, he's been reading Ezekial - totally clear, age appropriate reading for a nine year old!  He summarized the book.... "Mom, it just keeps saying, 'Son of Man, tell the people of Jerusalem you're off track! You're not doing what I've asked of you.  Return to Me and my ways!'"  He also said his sister came in and sat on his bed, and asked him to read to her from his Bible.  The boy refused.  He said "Mom, it just seemed like I shouldn't read it.  The people were sacrificing their children to another God.  I think she's too young to hear that story yet."  We agreed that sometimes the Bible is NOT a pretty book, but it is still important to read.

I am blown away... I've been praying that my children would know Jesus, and have a solid faith of their own.  I LOVE that my freckled-face boy is passionate and committed to reading God's word every day, of his own accord.  May it continue to be his habit, and passion, for life.