It's Real

A week ago today, my youngest son made the most important decision of his young life. He gave his heart and life to Jesus! As a parent, there is no greater joy than to see your child come to Jesus. I know there are some who don’t believe as I do, but I implore you not to stop reading this post. Please just read my account and allow my words to sink into your heart.

Friday we decided to go to a campmeeting in NC for its final night to hear an aged man of God preach. I am going to be honest here and confess that I was really tired and considered staying home (thank God I did not). We arrived at the campground and immediately saw our former pastor (where we call our home church), I was so excited as I had not seen him in a quite a while and it was a treat to see him and his dear wife. As it turns out the tent was quite full and we had to sit separate, Jason sat in front of me and the kids with our home pastor and his wife.

Throughout the service I recall looking over at Chandler to see if he was paying attention, he is young and sometimes it is difficult for his attention to keep through a sermon. Just so you know, he had been under conviction for the last couple of months and I was greatly burdened for him. What is conviction? Well, Jesus is the only way to heaven and when a child (or adult) is taught the Bible the Lord can and will begin to work in that person’s heart to show them that they are a sinner in need of the Savior. This was happening to our young son. As the conviction grew, so did my burden for him.

If you do not know or believe, one day the church (those who are saved) is going to be raptured out and only the lost and unbelieving will be on earth during a seven year tribulation period. I am not going to get into a theology lesson but we are very near that day as the signs of the times are everywhere! Anyway, a couple of weeks ago as I was trying to sleep I pictured my Chandler left behind in the rapture, I could picture him waking up and everyone in the house but him being gone. I was gripped with such a burden that I got out of bed to pray for him.

Back to Friday night. The service was nearing an end, the music was playing and the preacher was giving and invitation (an opportunity for those to come to pray) and Addison was crying and I wasn’t even paying attention to Chandler. He then tapped me on the arm and said “I’m scared” I said “scared of what” and he just shrugged his shoulders. Let me say here, you may be thinking that it is not good for a child to be scared but you are mistaken. Shouldn’t you be scared if you are lost?? Hell is a scary place and for him to be scared of going to hell and admitting it, that was his first step toward the Lord.

At this point I grab Jason (who is sitting in front of us) and say “help” he looks from me to Addison trying to figure out why I need his help, then I motion toward Chandler and he figures out what I am saying. So, he talks to Chandler for a second and off they go down the aisle to the altar. Our dear home Pastor follows him and our current dear Pastor heads out of his seat and they all head to the altar to help pray for my boy! I can’t tell you what a joy it was to see my little son give his heart to Jesus!! What a peace flooded his little face when he came up from that altar. As his tears were flowing and the aged preacher asked him what happened, he stammers just a little and says “I got saved!” No sweeter words to this parent I can assure you!!

You see, God wants us to come to him as a child. Matthew 18:2,3 says: “As Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

So today, I hope to encourage those of you who are born again and for those of you who are not, I challenge you to come to Jesus.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”