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. 

Talking about Faith

Last week I was asked to speak at SWAT - a preteen group at our church on Friday nights for 5th-7th graders. My friend Jen is the overseer, and has a guest speaker come the last Friday of each month. This year, she asked me to speak about "Faith"; pretty open topic. I teach Middle School, and am comfortable talking to kids in this age group. I thought I would post my talk here.

When you hear the word "Faith", what do you think of? Do any words or pictures come to mind? When Jen asked me to come and talk about faith, I wasn't sure exactly what I should say... I think I have a pretty strong faith - I know Jesus, I am sure He loves me, I have confidence He will never leave me - and I want to love and obey Him every day, for my whole life. And as I prayed about tonight, I prayed for each of you, that God would give me the right words, the words He wants you to hear.
I've been thinking about some of the old guys in the Bible lately, and what I can learn about God and their faith. Remember Abraham? He was a pretty wealthy man. I imagine that he had a comfortable life. But God spoke to him, and told him to pack up and move. It wasn't easy, no moving vans back then, but Abraham obeyed. God told him he and his wife, Sarah, would have as many children and grandchildren (and so on) as there are stars in the sky. Wow! and Abraham had faith and trusted God, even when this promise wasn't fulfilled until Abraham was 100 years old.
Many, many years later, Abraham's grandson, Jacob, was on the run, afraid his twin brother was out to kill him. Jacob, exhausted, fell asleep against a rock and had an incredible dream of angels going up and down from heaven! And then he heard God speak! God said: "I am with you and will take care of you in all places wherever you go." (Genesis 28:15)
I remember someone giving me that scripture verse when I was 12 years old, and I hung on to it, because I believed that God meant those words for me too - that everywhere I go, He is right there with me. Isn't that so reassuring?

Now I want to tell you about something that happened to me a few years ago. I met a woman who annoyed me a little bit, but I could be nice to her. Do you know anyone like that? Someone you can be kind to, but you may not necessarily want to be friends with? But one day I really felt God asking me to minister to her, to be friends with her, and to do that joyfully. I started to cry (what a baby!), and I had a mini temper tantrum with God. But something I've learned about faith is: I really love to do what God asks me to do, I really love to obey Him. So when Jesus asked me to do something I didn't really want to do, or feel comfortable doing, I know I had 2 choices: I could choose to obey and know that God would be with all the way, and give me the right words, and fill me with love and kindness for this person, and that that would allow me to witness and enjoy God's blessings; or I could disobey God and miss out on His plans. Miss out on the plans of the King of Kings? No way - I chose to obey!

I said, "Lord, I will do what You ask, but please help me. Show me how to be her friend, how to help her, when, with who, and how often." And do you know what Jesus did? He gave the answers to each of those questions within 2 weeks! I had people asking if they could help me minister to her!
And best of all, Jesus helped me see this person the way God sees her: as His precious, beloved child. I get goosebumps when I think about how having faith, and choosing to obey Jesus, brings me closer to Jesus, allows me to see first-hand His good works in my life and in the lives of people around me. When I don't step out in faith, when I don't choose to obey God because I'm afraid of what might happen, I'm afraid of the wrong thing. I should be more afraid about what I will miss out on - God's blessings and miracles - if I decide not to live in faith and obey God.

My prayer for you, who is reading this, is that you would have a desire to know Jesus, to trust Him and have faith that His plans for you are for good. I pray that you would know that God "is with you, and will take care of you in all places, wherever you go." Genesis 28:15