The Angels Threw a Party...

Luke 15:10 (NIV)
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

In the message the last part of this verse says... Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."

Our little (or not so little-he weighs 93 pounds :) Moose asked Jesus into his heart last night with his father and me leading the prayer. Moose turns 9 on Wednesday and this is absolutely the best present Moose could receive. Hey, it is one of the best presents we (me and hubby) will ever receive (in the future the salvation on Snake and Terminator too!!! :).

As many of my readers know our Moose has Autism, and as a mom I have worried at times about how he will understand Jesus' offer of salvation to him. I know that Moose understands so much more than he can actually communicate to us (hubby too). My hubby and I have had many spiritual conversations with Moose, but have felt he just wasn't ready to accept Jesus in his heart for a lack of understanding. You see one day Moose may blow us away with a spiritual truth, and in his next breath he is talking about space rockets and other make-believe stories.

Over the last couple of years I have felt that I would rather have my children wait to ask Jesus in their hearts until they really understood what they were doing (at least at their best understanding). I asked Jesus into my heart at nine, and thinking back now I think one of the main reasons I did was so I would go to Heaven and not Hell (fear based). I do believe that I loved Jesus in some way, but looking back with perspective now, my young Christian life was more like that of the Pharisees... Seeking praise, judging, and criticising. I think I missed Grace and Jesus' love for me. I don't think I ever really saw myself as a sinner in need of God's
forgiveness. It was in my early 20's that I finally got it, and I surrendered my life to Jesus again. I can't say for sure I did not have a true decision at 9...only God knows the answer to that question, but I feel like I really became a Christ follower in my 20's.

In saying all of that, I just want my children to not have to go through all of the "playing the role" of a Christian, and then truly understand God's gift in their 20's. Of course, I know there are not any guarantees my children will not walk the same road I did, but at least they have a mom who was there, and I will have some lessons to share with them if they do choose that road.

My prayer is that when my children are ready to accept Christ I will know it because the Spirit will let me (and hubby) know that the time is right. I pray that my children fall so in love with Jesus that nothing can compare to Him in their eyes. I pray their love for Jesus even exceeds my love for Him :)

To end the story, I will say that the last couple of nights Moose was asking my hubby a lot of spiritual questions, so when my hubby came and told me that Moose has been quizzing him with questions last night for fifteen minutes I felt a stirring in my soul. My hubby told me that he talked about Hell with Moose, and I was like, "Oh my"... It was not too much longer that Moose came in the living room with tears in his eyes and said something like "I am sinner?"... He just wanted to know how to go to Heaven. He kept saying things like "Jesus I love you". Moose just would not settle, so I felt in my Spirit that it may be the time for him to accept Jesus (I did not want to quench the Holy Spirit if He was wanting to do a work in Moose). I looked at my husband and he agreed. We asked Moose if he wanted to ask Jesus in his heart, and he said a resounding "yes".

We got down on our knees and his dad and I walked Moose through confession and repentance, and finally asking Jesus to come reside in his heart. I really feel like I saw an immediate peace wash over Moose. He wondered how his heart would actually have room for Jesus to live in it (that will be something he will learn in time). My husband and I rejoiced with Him, and we are committed to keep teaching Moose more and more about what his decision means. God knows Moose's heart, and He knows what Moose can understand. I have to let go of control and let God do the work He wants to do in my children's lives... God will never lead them astray!!!

So please, rejoice with me as we celebrate another (little) brother coming to Christ!!! As Moose said this morning when he woke up (several times)... "I have Jesus in my Heart"... Yes, you do Moosey, yes you do!!!