Yesterday, Mrs. Gavette (Cade’s Sunday School teacher) told me that Cade had announced, “I have something important to tell the class.” She said Cade’s announcement had been a great addition to the lesson, and pointed to a little figure on the white board with a black heart.
The black heart! Cade has been talking a lot about his black heart at home. And since I was pretty sure he hasn’t been reading Romans (…’their foolish hearts were darkened’–Rom. 1:21), I wondered where he had picked up this imagery. Saturday night, Cade had said, “I know that my heart is dark, and it’s just filling up with more and more sin, and I think tonight would be a good night to ask Jesus to be my Savior, and give me a new heart.”
And on Sunday morning, he was telling the world that he is a Christian.
I’m so glad that we didn’t call it quits on Saturday. It had been a night full of blackness at the Popkin house. I had been engrossed in a project, dinner was late, and everyone was hungry, grumpy, and short-tempered (mostly me). Ken said it didn’t seem like the right time to finish up our little book on salvation with the kids. But I said it seemed like the perfect time. We had just illustrated our need for salvation so well!
We began our Bible time with an apology from me, and ended it with our precious boy finding grace at the cross. I think God wanted to show us that the cure for a blackened heart isn’t (thank goodness!) a perfect home. It’s Jesus.
Thank goodness, indeed!!! Rejoicing with you, Shannon.
PRAISE THE LORD!!
Oh, Shannon! Answered prayers!!!
That's very exciting!!My 12 year old stepson is having a little faith crisis right now as well. We had a long talk on Saturday about what salvation was, why we needed it, and what it wasn't (mostly centered on just “being good”). Thankfully God followed up in church on Sunday with our Pastor's very direct message on the same topic. I'm not sure he's there yet, but we're praying he'll get there.
It's a little stressful, you know? As a mom I want him to know Jesus, but not just by going through the motions. As much as I try, I can't force him to become a follower of Christ. I just have to pray! And that's a lot, but it doesn't seem quite immediate enough.
P.S. I've been following along, but have been unable to comment. I'm good to go now!
Alice, Yes! I'm so thankful now that I (as we talked about) took the 'hands off' approach, in leading him to Jesus. It's so obvious that this was the Lord at work, not us.
Traci, I can SO relate to fretting over my child's salvation. But just as it's not his good works that will save him, it's not your work either! Our hope is in Christ alone. I know you've been praying for him for a long time, now. Not knowing the timeline is the hardest thing, don't you think? But that's what makes faith, faith!!
I'm so glad you got (and took!) an opportunity to talk to him on Saturday. Keep pouring into him, sister!
Great to have you comment-able!!