Last night, around 10:30 pm, I had the most awesome experience with my children. I was ready to put them to bed when Ally, my six-year-old daughter, asked me something about a booklet she was holding. I looked at it and saw that it was one of Chick Publication's Gospel tracts which a friend gave me and I left lying around in the house. She pointed to me the picture of hell on one of its pages. So I tried to explain to her, in the most gingerly fashion, what hell is, that it was a place for bad people, a place for people who don't like Jesus. Then, immediately, I also told her about heaven, where good people go, where people who have Jesus in their hearts go.
Realizing that it may be one of those "God-moments", I proceeded to explain to her God's plan of salvation. Eze, my four-year-old son was also all ears as I shared the good news of Jesus with them. Throughout, Ally kept asking questions like, "What is sin?", "How do you know these things?" In the end, I told them that daddy and mommy and Nanay Monet are going to heaven. Ally asked, "Is that where Daddy Lino is now?" I said yes. Then, I followed up with, "Do you also want to go to heaven?" Both of them said "Yes" with an excited look in their faces. And I asked again, "To go to heaven you must ask Jesus to come into your hearts." They said "Yes" again, smiling. I said that receiving Jesus meant allowing him to make them a good girl and a good boy and they readily agreed. But first, they must ask forgiveness for their sins. When I asked whether they knew what forgiveness is, they said they knew and so I didn't have to explain.
I then asked them to kneel on the bed, fold their hands in prayer, close their eyes, and to repeat every word I said. They followed to the letter. When they uttered the final word, "Amen", in my heart I thanked God for the opportunity to lead my children to Jesus. It was a great feeling. Then Ally asked, "How about Eza?" She was always concerned about her younger siblings. I assured her that when Eza gets older, she'll have the chance to ask Jesus in her heart as well. But if anything happens to her before that time, she would surely go to heaven.
Now, I really know that God uses anything and any moment for his glory. I'm not really a fan of Chick Publications because of their sometimes in-your-face, sensational, historically-inaccurate pamphlets. But tonight, I praise God for them. And I'm keeping the booklet that Ally was holding as a souvenir :)
Realizing that it may be one of those "God-moments", I proceeded to explain to her God's plan of salvation. Eze, my four-year-old son was also all ears as I shared the good news of Jesus with them. Throughout, Ally kept asking questions like, "What is sin?", "How do you know these things?" In the end, I told them that daddy and mommy and Nanay Monet are going to heaven. Ally asked, "Is that where Daddy Lino is now?" I said yes. Then, I followed up with, "Do you also want to go to heaven?" Both of them said "Yes" with an excited look in their faces. And I asked again, "To go to heaven you must ask Jesus to come into your hearts." They said "Yes" again, smiling. I said that receiving Jesus meant allowing him to make them a good girl and a good boy and they readily agreed. But first, they must ask forgiveness for their sins. When I asked whether they knew what forgiveness is, they said they knew and so I didn't have to explain.
I then asked them to kneel on the bed, fold their hands in prayer, close their eyes, and to repeat every word I said. They followed to the letter. When they uttered the final word, "Amen", in my heart I thanked God for the opportunity to lead my children to Jesus. It was a great feeling. Then Ally asked, "How about Eza?" She was always concerned about her younger siblings. I assured her that when Eza gets older, she'll have the chance to ask Jesus in her heart as well. But if anything happens to her before that time, she would surely go to heaven.
Now, I really know that God uses anything and any moment for his glory. I'm not really a fan of Chick Publications because of their sometimes in-your-face, sensational, historically-inaccurate pamphlets. But tonight, I praise God for them. And I'm keeping the booklet that Ally was holding as a souvenir :)