Those dainty little hands

My daughter turned five in July and as a mom, I’m always wondering if I’m “training her properly in the way she should go” (Proverbs 22:6). Am I doing enough teaching her about Jesus? Am I doing too much?

A few nights ago while on vacation, the news came on. It showed a clip of an underground dogfight that was leaked, as dogfighting has only now started catching on in my country. They had blurred out the dogs’ faces but it was clear what was happening and you could see all the blood. It was horrific, my heart is too soft to take in something like that; but what was worst for me is that you could hear the dog owner’s voice urging his dog on. I immediately discerned a spirit of lust. It was disgusting and putrid. I couldn’t help myself but burst into tears and quickly changed the channel so Jordan couldn’t see what was on.

I battled to stop crying for a few seconds, but the next thing that happened amazed me. She went to sit on the other couch, closed her eyes, put her little hands together and started praying! It was the sweetest and innocent, yet grown up moment, I have seen with her! Only once she had finished praying did she come put her arm around me and comfort me. I like to think that in that moment she knew to talk to Jesus first. Jesus first, mom next – the perfect order.

Okay, so maybe i’m not doing too badly, right? I don’t take the credit though – I thank the Lord that He helps me raise her in His ways, I would utterly fail if I did not have His Word to lean on.

Thank You Jesus for helping me to blossom that pretty little flower which You have entrusted me with!

Praying her little heart out

Fleshly comforts are much more attractive, aren’t they? I have to catch myself not falling into that trap, and daily die to self. One of my weaknesses are sitcoms. If it is my time to spend with the Lord, and a good sitcom is on, I have to really argue with myself to switch that TV off.

Last night I fully understood why Jesus wants us to have faith like children (Matt 18:3), as my toddler seems to grasp the importance of dying to self a lot quicker than me.
She loves the “Our Father” and during her bedtime prayer she asked, “Mommy, what’s the one with the bread and the devil?” 😀 When I reminded her without trying to laugh, she proceeded to say the prayer, little hands together, eyes tightly closed and ended with,

“For  dying is the kingdom…”

THAT oil??

I have a bottle of oil I keep in my handbag and one in my bedroom cupboard for anointing purposes. I have on one time, though, grabbed car oil out of desperation! It is only a symbol after all.
However, I’m sure this remains quite a mystery to small kiddies.
My daughter was having a much-loved sleepover ritual at granny and grandpa one weekend when she fell quite sick with a fever.

My mom grabbed some olive oil in her kitchen to anoint her and pray over her. 
When she walked into the bedroom where Jordan lay, Jordan exclaimed with a shocked look, “Nana! is THAT the oil you cook with??”

The simple faith of children

My toddler loves to watch Turbo Dogs, a cartoon about dogs who race cars. One of our family members is a Rottweiler x German Shepherd with a heart of gold that she loves. His name is Diego.
She turned me one day and said, “Mommy, I wish Diego could talk like Turbo Dogs! Lets’ pray and ask Lord Jesus to make Diego talk like them. Come, lets pray together.”

Don’t you just love the simple faith!

The sound of God’s voice…to Jordan anyway

One night I was sitting reading a Bible story to Jordan. It was the story of when God called out to Samuel.
When reaching that part, I tried putting on my best “God voice” (not easy for a female!) and said, “Samuel!” And she clasped her hands together excitedly and gasped.
And I read again, “Samuel!” And she gasped with eyes wide open and said with wonder, “Wow Mommy! God has such a beautiful voice!” 😀

But Mommy, I want to see Jesus!

I have a four year old and I’m very strict when it comes to bedtime and maintaining a routine. Many times she has tried conning me into allowing her to stay up later or starts a random conversation about nothing really, just to prolong the inevitable dreadful, and boring as she calls it, bedtime.

I have purchased some little Bible stories for her age group – full of colour and beautiful pictures and she loves them. So our bedtime routine is reading a story or two from there and say our prayers. I read her two stories and then she knows it is time to say goodnight.

The one night before starting reading to her, she paged through the book and saw a picture of Jesus in another Bible story at the back. After I had read her two stories I asked her the usual game questions to see what she remembered about it and then I stated that it was now bedtime. And she exclaimed, “But Mommy! I want to see Jesus!”
How, as a Christian mother, do you not honour that request!

I immediately thought of how the disciples rebuked the little children from coming to Jesus for blessing and prayer. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 19:14)

Can you imagine being so rigid with the rules of this world that you block your child, or anyone, from seeing Jesus? Needless to say, Jordan was read that story and we discussed what she loves about Jesus.
As Head of the household, Jesus surely is allowed to side step any bedtime rules! 🙂