Do You Know Mommy?

It is frustrating to know how unbehaved my girls were during all that was going on with JJ and me in the hospital. I know that some people will say that it was hard on them and so on and so forth, so it is understandable.

But is it? Is it really understandable?

Not to me.

I truly feel that if I had done a better job raising the girls...if they had their faith rooted in Jesus at this early age (and yes, I do believe it is possible, Samuel heard and obeyed the voice of God at the age of three)...then no matter the circumstances, they would be well behaved. They would know and understand that they are doing and being for the Lord, and not for Momma and not for them selves.

Since coming to this grim realization, and realizing just how SHORT life can be (I am still amazed that God allowed my son to live when so many others with the same thing die), I have really changed how I talk with my girls about Jesus.

I know that they know about Jesus. I know they know the stories from the Bible. I know they know that being good doesn't get you into heaven, only by faith.

But I have come to the realization that my children do not know their need for a Savior. They know Jesus is the only way to heaven. But they don't KNOW Jesus.

So how to explain that to a 7yr, 5yr and 4 yr? How to explain their need for a personal relationship with Jesus? How to explain that they need to KNOW Jesus, not just know about Him?

My husband and I sat the girls down and I asked them if they knew me. Do you know Mommy's favorite color? What is Mommy's favorite food? What things does Mommy like to do? The kind of questions you would ask someone you were interested in getting to know better. They knew the answers. We then explained that there are things about Mommy they do not know about. How many pillows does Mommy like to sleep with? Who is her favorite actor? What is her favorite book (of course they answered the Bible, but OTHER than the Bible...)? What does Mommy want most for you? Answers they did not know.

How can you get to know Mommy better? By spending more time with her and talking with her.

You need to know God in the same way. You need to know God better than you know Mommy or Daddy. You need to know who He is and what He wants for you. And how can you get to know God better? By spending time with Him in His word. By talking/praying to Him and then remembering to wait on Him and listen. And the more you obey, the stronger His voice will be. You need to make Jesus your friend.

In just the few days of observation in my children since our conversation, I have started to notice some changes in them. They are still not to the point I want them to be, or that I know God would have them be. But slowly but surely, I am seeing progress!

I am so thankful that I came to this realization now instead of later. I thought I was doing the right thing by teaching them about Jesus. But in doing that, I left out a most important element, which is just as important. Teaching them to KNOW Him.