To The Praise of His Glorious Grace

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." Psalm 13:5

Let's see if I can write this without tears.  I seriously doubt it.  But you don't know that - you are on that end, reading the finished product.  I sit hear thinking over my daughter's life and my answered prayers, and cannot help but weep.  But - that's me.  I'm her mom.  I'm supposed to be that way.

When you have your first child, you understand - a little more - God's great love for us.  You love this tiny life that has just been placed in your arms with a love that you never even comprehended until that moment.  You are overwhelmed by emotion and responsibility.  As a mom, this protective tigress comes out in you and you flip out over the craziest things.  You desire to love, nurture, protect, teach, and guide in a way you never have before.  But - you also pray in a way you never have before.  You realize very quickly how ill-equipped you are and how much you need God to help you look after this child that He has intrusted to you.  All of the responsibility that comes with being a parent is overwhelming.  And it never goes away.  I'm learning even now that I only thought it was difficult when they were babies.  God knew what he was doing when he gives them to you as infants and we have to work up to the hard stuff.

Anyway - for me - the absolute biggest prayer for both of my children has been for their salvation.  Knowing that they are safe in the Lord's protection - knowing that they love the Lord - knowing that they understand His authority in our lives.  Salvation is a process that takes place throughout our lives.  God is constantly growing us and changing us.  But that first moment of realization that you are a sinner and in desperate need of His grace - His salvation - that is where it begins.

For Jarod, that happened when he was 4 1/2.  Having been around the death of my mother, and Russell's sister,  he had hard eternal questions early and his faith was incredible.  He had been asking so many questions and Russ and I were very cautious as children are so easily influenced.  We wanted him to come into it on his own.  He was watching the Jesus Film for Children and at the end it tells about repenting of your sin and asking Jesus into your heart.  Jarod came running into our bedroom and shouted, "Mom! Did you know that all you have to do is ask God to forgive your sins and ask him into your heart and you will be a Christian and get to go to heaven?!"  I, of course, said yes and he shouted, "I'm going to go do that right now!" and he ran to his bedroom, knelt down and prayed.  I stood outside of his room and listened to a sweet, 4 1/2 year old boy receive Christ.  Russ and I stood there looking at each other dumbfounded.  What just happened?  We spoke with him further, watched him for a few days and noticed a heart change.  It was incredible!  Jarod's New Birthday was March 8, 2004. We waited a year or so and Jarod was baptized on Easter Sunday in 2005.

What a special day that was.  We have continued to watch him grow in his faith over the past several years.  We've even heard him share his faith with his friends at school.  We know that he is saved and that the Lord has great plans for him.

Anne has been a different story.  Fortunately, she has not been influenced by the death of family members so her understanding has been on a much different level.  Her journey has been similar in that a few years ago - when she was also 4, the kids stuck in the Jesus Film for Children again.  Anne watched it and also - by herself - prayed at the end of the movie.  She's been telling us all this time that she is saved and could not understand why she had not been baptized yet.  Again - this was done on her own (my kids are so independent!) and Russ and I did not want to influence anything so we have just been watching and listening over the past few years.  The talk of the beach baptism yesterday started a whole lot of conversation around here and we sat down with her yesterday before church to answer some questions and talk further about it.  Russ was able to pray with her and we were able to see her heart.  Whenever asked about salvation, she would go back to the time she prayed 2 years ago - she was adamant about it.  But yesterday after talking with us and praying with Daddy, she said, "Mommy - when I prayed before, I don't think I really felt anything - but today I did."  I asked her what she meant - what she felt.  She said, "I cannot explain it - but I think I felt Jesus come in my heart."  Then she rolled her eyes at me because I was crying!  :-)  I, of course, explained to her that they were happy tears because the biggest and most important prayer that mommy's and daddy's pray for their children is that they come to Christ and that God had answered my prayer.  She understood. 

We rejoiced with her and started making phone calls!  Our family rejoiced with us as well and she went forward during church yesterday to let everyone know.

A little nervous, of course - (Don't you love the VBS set up in the background? That started today)

Last night before the baptism - sharing her testimony.  So proud of her!

 

 

 What a special honor and privilege for Daddy

 

 

 

 

 Happy girl!  So proud of her!

 

Love this!

Marc, Sam and Chloe were able to join us for the celebration!  What an awesome day!!!

Anne's New Birthday is July 10, 2011.  I cannot wait to see all that God is going to do in her life.  The journey will be hard - God never promised us it would be easy.  But He did promise to be with us.  I know that God has awesome plans for both of my children.  He has already been very busy in preparing them for it. It is so incredible to know that your children know and love the Lord.  I'm also very thankful to have the peace in knowing that they will spend eternity with us in Heaven.  What more could a mom ask for?

If you are reading this and have any questions about salvation and knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior - please contact us!  We would be more than happy to help you!  Franklin4@truevine.net

Until next time......