Dear Jesus, please save me, Amen – Max

Last night after reading Max and Ben their Bible story, Max asked me “Dad, how is Jesus in everyone’s heart at the same time.”  That was certainly an intersting conversation, that somehow led to Max thinking that Jesus full name is ‘God Jesus Holy Spirit’.  However, it led to a very cutting question.  “Dad, is Jesus in my heart?”  Bad news is hard to deliver to a little kid.  I stroked his hair, looked in his eyes, and said “No, Max.  Jesus is not in your heart right now.” 

5 year olds are great at connecting the dots.  Earlier in our time together, we talked about Hell and that because of our sin, our punishment is death (ultimately living forever without Jesus).  Max asked me another cutting question, “Will I be all alone when I’m in Hell?” 

We talked through that everyone has sinned (done bad things), and that the punishment for sin is death (living forever without Jesus in Hell), but that Jesus took our punishment instead of us. 

Because God loves you so much, He sent His only son (Jesus) to take our punishment for us.  So that whoever believes in Him won’t have to live forever without Jesus, but will be able to live forever with him (the 5 year old paraphrase of John 3:16)

Max said, “I believe in Jesus”.  Then we talked through asking Jesus to save us.  I told him that this asking Jesus to save him was something that everyone has to do.  I asked him if that was something that he wanted to do.  He said “yes”.

Saira had fallen asleep while I was reading the Bible story.  I didn’t want her to miss this.  So I was just about to say, “hold on, Max.  Let me wake up mommy’ when he closed his eyes, folded his hands, and said, “Dear Jesus, please save me, Amen”. 

As soon as he said “amen” he sat up and hugged me, let go, and then hugged me again.  We woke up mommy, and then Max told mommy what he had done.  Saira was very happy, and told him how proud she was of him. 

I apologized for her missing it…  I can’t tell you how many times I think that Max or Ben have done something new for the first time, and tell Saira only to find out that they did that yesterday…  This makes up for a lifetime of missing first steps.