Birthdays are big in our family – I just counted it up and we’ve hosted 26 birthday parties for our kids – and I usually do them as big as I can manage. Although after our son’s Rescue Heroes fireman party (inside our house) I decided to do the rest of his outside. I love to celebrate these special days of their births. I usually get out the scrapbook complete with original BIRTHday pictures – and retell the stories of those days – they luuuv that part. Hey, at least I wait until the friends are gone. I believe in the value of celebrating special days, holidays, family days see my family day blog here, birthdays, 96s on Algebra tests (our most recent celebration). It’s important to celebrate milestones and accomplishments, both the visible and the invisible parts of our lives.
I just wrote a little note for my nieces who are celebrating spiritual birthdays today. For us, a Spiritual Birthday reminds us about the day one of us gave our lives to Jesus. Mine is February 11th. My son who is now almost 14, just celebrated his spiritual birthday last week, the day before Valentine’s Day. I will never forget his sweet 2nd grade enthusiasm as we went out on a family Valentine Date and he told the waitress all about getting saved the day before. Both of my big kids have made decisions to follow Jesus.
When my kids gave their lives to Jesus, I sat down within a couple of days and wrote down everything I could remember about the experience – down to the clothes they wore and where we were and what was happening in the life of our family. I made a little fill out form with simple questions they answered in their own writing. I collected all the emails and cards they received, pictures of their baptisms complete with dripping chins and radiant smiles, clippings from our church newsletter, anything about that day and put them into a file. We get this file out on their spiritual birthdays and read parts or all of it and it helps us remember HIM and them – a combination created before the beginning of time. We remind them of our own stories and just celebrate.
Every Christian parent harbors a little bit of fear that they will make a mistake during the process of leading their child to Jesus. As a perennial VBS worker, I experienced the joy of leading many children to faith in Jesus and I just knew that my kids would make a similar decision when I wasn’t there and I would miss it! As a young mother I had this mistaken idea that my kids’ journey to Jesus would be a one-time stop and I might not be watching. I obsessed more than a little bit about watching for the signs they were ready (which was little bit like the stress of potty-training). At this same time a friend at our former church taught a class where she told us that our children will make many steps toward Jesus; knowing Him is a journey, and that is as it should be! Simple thought, revolutionary attitude change for me. Not that our kids were beginning a process of earning their salvation, but that they were beginning the process of understanding Jesus and relating to Him - absorbing His love and returning it. I remember when my young son got very upset talking about Jesus’ unjust crucifixion. He argued with us that Jesus must have done something wrong; the idea that He would be executed unjustly was more than his tender heart could take. I remember our daughter asking about heaven one night and glimpsing the invisible life of faith for the first time – realizing that as we love Jesus we are connected to an eternity beyond our imagination. Even now our baby daughter is learning to love Jesus – although she sometimes confuses Him with Jonah (we’re still working on that). In these little preschool steps toward Jesus my children were and are learning the depth of His love and His sacrifice. They absolutely can love Jesus with all their hearts, making the decision to give their lives to Him as children and youth, and then grow into an understanding of the theology of Him. And, hear me young fearful mama – that is enough.
Some things I learned in leading my kids to Jesus:
· Love Jesus yourself – and know Him well. This is the most important thing. I could seriously end the list here, but I love multiple bullet points too much.
· Invite Jesus into the ordinariness of your days, not just church stuff.
· Let them ask weird questions about Jesus without over-correcting. But ALWAYS keep telling them the truth about Him.
· Say “I don’t know” when they ask you things you don’t - um, know. Then study to find out the answer.
· Don’t use church words like “Invite Jesus into your heart” - scary stuff for a literal child.
· If your child is interested and asking questions but you realize they aren’t ready, just celebrate the great steps they are taking toward a wonderful friendship with Jesus. For real, celebrate – like with a little party or at least a high five.
· Pray for them and with them – often.
· I found a great little resource in a Focus on the Family printable. You can find it here.
In case you aren’t convinced of the value of a little salvation folder for your kids, here’s a treasure kept safe in our son’s folder, from his Grandfather - my Daddy:
“Many years ago, I stood in a church in Japan with nobody but my baby daughter, and prayed that God would bless her life. The years have been great in watching her grow and to see her life and her children and know that God has truly blessed. This morning we studied about Jeremiah the prophet. “The word of the Lord came to me, I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations……” (Jeremiah 1) Jeremiah was young, but he was chosen to do God’s work, and he was faithful. I pray that you will be sensitive to what God says to you and be able to say as Isaiah –“ Here I am, send me” or “Here IAM, send me.”
These precious gifts in our children’s stories are powerful and available to them. I, for one, can’t wait to see the chapters God continues to add. No fear of missing a stop this time.
“But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—“
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—“
Psalm 103:17
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