Quiet times with a four-year-old.

Last night as I tucked my oldest into bed, she picked the story of the Prodigal Son(s) from her kid Bible.  (you can read it in a "grown up" Bible - Luke 15:11-32).  At the end of the parable, her Bible explains how much God loves His children and will always love His children.  Even though she was tired, she was also able to be quiet and think, so here's the conversation we had after the book closed:

Me:   Are you God's child?

Her:  Yes.  Everyone is God's child.

Me:   No, not everyone is God's child. 

Her:  What? (sounding someone more awake than 20 seconds ago)

Me:   God made everyone, but they are not all in His family.

Her:  Oh.

Me:   How do you know if you are in Jesus' family?

Her:  He's in my heart!

Me:   Right.  Well, not everyone has Jesus in their heart.  But the ones who do are God's            children - they're in His family.

Her:  Oh.  Well I have Jesus in my heart.  He gave me a NEW heart.  So I'm His child.

Me:   Yep!

Her:  And did Jesus give you a new heart?

Me:   Yes!

Her:  And did Jesus give daddy a new heart?

Me:   Yes!

Her:  And did Jesus give Savannah [little sister] a new heart?

Me:   We don't know.  She doesn't have any words to talk to us about that yet.  But we are praying that Jesus will give her a new heart.

Her:  Right!  (look of wheels turning...)

Me:   I'm your mommy, and you're my daughter, so you're my child, right?

Her:  Right.

Me:   How about your friend *Name*?  She is your friend and we love her, but she is not my   child.  She is a person, but she is not part of our family.

Her:  She's not in Jesus' family either.

Me:   She's not?  (wondering if now our family is the only part of Jesus' family)

Her:  No, she's in Santa's family.  (Confirmation that the discussion of Santa we had from November until last week is getting in there...)

Me:   You can invite her to be in Jesus' family.

Her:  I can?!?!  I want to do that!

Me:   You tell her what you know of Jesus, then you ask her she wants Him to come give her a new heart.  If she does, she can pray and ask Him for a new heart that loves Him.

Her:  Okay, I'll do that.  When she gets back from vacation.  Mom?

Me:   Yes?

Her:  I'm tired.  I love you.

Me:   I love you too.  Goodnight.

Her:  Goodnight.

These are the sweet moments of motherhood.