And does it matter?

Melody came to her doorway (opposite mine) tonight and said, “Mommy, I asked Jesus into my heart.”

This whole time (you know, a whole week) I’ve been struggling with how to properly encourage Natasha for her choice without making it look… too good, so Melody wouldn’t just be a little mimic. I really thought I did pretty well, so I wasn’t expecting mimicking behavior.

I felt a little stunned (you might have thought she said “Mom, I’m pregnant,” I felt caught so off-guard). Not wanting to discourage her, but wanting to know more, I asked, “How did you do that?”

“In bed,” she said matter-of-factly.

I sent her back to bed with a smile and hug, not sure what to think. Natasha returned from bathroom a trip a bit after, and I heard Melody say, “Natasha, I asked Jesus into my heart.”

“That’s great!” Natasha responded enthusiastically. Then I heard her pray.

“Dear Jesus, thank you that Melody asked Jesus into her heart!”

Now, that would have been a natural place to start, I thought. I went into the room, not sure I’d heard right.

“Did you say something, Natasha?”

“No, I was just prayin’.” She looked a little bashful but was smiling so big.

Then Melody asked “Can you pray with me, Mommy, to ask Jesus in my heart?”

So I prayed with her– or started to– the repeat-after-me bit, and she took off with her own way of praying (and looked at me funny when I said the bit about obeying).

I lay everyone back down again and went to talk to Jay about it. I asked, “How do we know this is real? Does it matter?”

He said “I really don’t think it does. Treat it as real, and work form there.”

And, I guess he’s right. God knows their hearts, and I don’t have a reason to doubt or discourage her. It’s an ineffable feeling of relief to see both my girls’ hearts “safe home.” I never expected I’d feel this way.

It’s like that 20-lbs I lose every evening when Jay comes home and lifts Elisha off my back. That mixed with a little vertigo and the feeling of being outside right after it’s rained. I don’t know. I felt a bit like this after Natasha last week, and maybe it’s doubled now…

~

It is nice to know the stories we read together can now be more for them than just stories. That they can have the same significance for both girls.

I’ve felt a difference between the girls’ listening this past week, and wonder if Melody will hear differently in the morning.

Actually, she was more intrigued tonight than she’s been in the previous week, so… maybe God was already working on that part of her heart. And she was asking questions about Great-grandma and heaven after bible time.

Not like Natasha did, so I didn’t really think anything of it at the time… but it really seems like she was doing some level of processing this evening.

It makes me think of when I felt Elisha move at something like 3-months gestation.

I didn’t think before I felt him that it was physically possible, but when it happened I knew it was real. I guess my mind is growing into that place with Melody, thinking about the progression of the evening.

~ ~ ~

If you take any prayer-requests away from this reading, please pray that both these two new babies would be “rooted and established in love,” and be eager to grow– in their love of Scripture, in prayer and in obedience.

Pray especially for Melody to learn self-control, as lately she’s been having a hard time controlling her reactions to things (just and unjust).

And pray for my faith too, that I can trust that God will use these young confessions of faith, and allow them to spur one another on as they continue to grow on very parallel tracks.

Thanks for reading (and praying).