He IS Listening!
This morning we went to church. First B and I dropped off C and J in their respective Sunday School classrooms and then B and I went to our Sunday School class. After Sunday School was over, B and I fetched C from his classroom to take him to “big church” with us. (Yes, I know it is really called “the worship service,” but since I have called it “big church” since I was C’s age, it will always be “big church” in my mind.)
We had a guest speaker in the worship service today. At one point, he made a joke about all his fat cells screaming out for Blue Bell ice cream. C piped up with a very vocal “Yummy!” that everyone around us heard. As he was coloring in a coloring book, I was unsure about how much he was listening. Apparently, he was listening to everything being said, and comprehending it. B turned bright red due to containing his laugh and from a bit of embarrassment. It was a really cute moment. It reminded me of being in big church, I’m guessing that I was about C’s age, for a revival. The preacher was getting all fired up and said, “The devil is in this place!”
I spoke up, quite loudly (while looking all around), and said, “Mommy, where is the devil?” (As, I was taking things quite literally and wanted to see the devil…)
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At another point in the sermon, C looked at the back of the pew in front of him. There were two little cups in the cup holders (from the worship service earlier that morning where the Lord’s Supper was partaken) and C asked me what the cups were for. I took him outside the sanctuary and explained to him the basics of Jesus breaking bread and drinking wine with his disciples before he was crucified and how we have the Lord’s Supper now in remembrance of Christ dying on the cross for our sins. Also, that we have to accept Christ into our hearts before we can participate in the Lord’s Supper. C said that “I’m ready to accept Jesus in my heart” but I’m not sure if he just wanted to participate, or if he is really ready. I will talk with him more. I was 6 when I accepted Christ, so C might be on the threshold.
As C has never been in a worship service where we did the Lord’s Supper, he didn’t know anything about it. This is all part of the learning experience for him, as he is growing up.
In the coming days I will go into more detail with C, reading books to him and reading passages from the Bible to him, explaining this concept to him. C was fine with not eating the little cracker and not drinking the grape juice, although he did want to see the “bread” and smell the “wine.” (If I had been aware of today being the day to have the Lord’s Supper in church, I would have explained it to him last night, but this worked well.)
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This morning we watched two little girls being baptized and it was very special to me, as I personally know their parents, and went to the baby shower awaiting the birth of the oldest girl. Watching their baptism visually “brought it home” for me that B and I are responsible for teaching C and J about Christ. Wow. Feeding my children physically is not enough. I am responsible for feeding them spiritually as well.
And I will.
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At another point in the service, C reached his little arms up to B’s shoulder and up to my shoulder and said, “I’ve got both of you!” :-) Yes, you do, my dear, you have both of us, and we have you.