A new creation!

Wow, that about sums up my morning! It was terribly busy...three loads of laundry (and hung up on the line outside), cooking breakfast (egg goop), finish stacking the dishwasher to get that going, clean up a bathroom accident, get ready to sit down to finally eat breakfast myself when the phone rings...it's mom. We talk for a bit before I called my sister-in-law in Ohio...their new baby is going through something very similar to what both of mine did as new borns, and I knew she'd need some prayers and encouragement. Finally hang up, eat my breakfast, sit down to do school work with the kids, another phone call...another, another, another. Finally, we just went outside to play for a bit (leaving the phone inside!). We came back in and colored eggs (I boiled a bunch of them yesterday and with kids in the house, who says coloring eggs should be an Easter-time only event?), cleaned up the mess, got the kids lunch, and had a great conversation.

I don't even know how it came up, but I said something about Satan, and the kids asked me who Satan is. We have focused on Jesus and countless Bible stories, they know about good and evil and all about heaven, but we've not really talked about Satan and hell yet, although we have talked about how we need to ask Jesus to forgive our sins. Hey, they're 3 and 4 and both have quite active imaginations! However, I told them about the fall of Lucifier today and ended with him being cast out of heaven and how he will be sent to hell and wants everyone to be with him and not in heaven. That lead to a little discussion about hell and how when we die we will either be with Jesus in heaven or Satan in hell. I explained that the Bible tells us that we can only go to heaven if we believe in Jesus, ask Him to forgive our sins, and give our life to Him, becoming brand new creations.

Luke immediately started praying, asking God to forgive his sins and make him a new creation. With tears in my eyes, I went over and led him some more in his salvation prayer and gave him a big hug afterwards. We talked more about what an important decision he has made and how even though he is the same Luke on the outside, Jesus has washed his sins away and made him new on the inside. He just kept smiling and saying he was brand new and was so happy Jesus took his sins away. He also got excited to hear this is a new, second birthday for him and wanted me to sing Happy Birthday (although he didn't ask about cake and presents).

Luke is four. And still quite young. And yet, he has such a wonderful grasp about Christ's salvation work on the cross and how He came to earth to be our sacrifice; the purpose of the cross, the last supper, His baptism, and heaven. I know that he has had a pretty clear understanding about sin and forgiveness and punishment. Today, the final dots in the picture were connected for him...the other side of Jesus and heaven....and he knew that it was important for him to make that decision and wanted to make that decision today.

I know that there will be rough spots in his life ahead...there are for each and every one of us who have made that commitment to Christ, who are new creations in Him. Satan doesn't give up just because we belong to Christ...but we have the assurance of salvation, being cradled in God's hand. And I know that Luke now understands (even with a child's mind) the battle of the ages..and has chosen to be on the winning side. Thank You, Father!

"I am God's soldier now!"