Mean People and God

I know young children really don't have the full capacity to understand completely God's plan for us for salvation. However, I cannot not tell my children about Him. I feel even if they only grasp half the concept or even less, I still want to start speaking to them very early about Him. I feel like I've done a better job with Jackson than Preston which bothers me. :( (Jackson wanted to be read too all the time at Preston's age and we often read his children's Bibles Erica gave him. Preston doesn't sit still as well for reading, but I need to find another way to reach him and be more diligent...oh well..that's another post. :)) Anyway, tonight I was struggling to try to explain to Jackson about staying close by me in public and in stores. I am not using a stroller anymore with Preston unless absolutely necessary. Mostly because he pitches a fit to get out, and well if he gets out then I have three things to keep up with! (I have no idea how moms of more than two survive!) The kids are getting braver and braver of hiding from me in clothes racks, etc. etc. I tried to explain that there are mean people who might seem like even mommies or daddies and they might seem very nice. However, there are mean people..people who don't possibly even believe in God as I put it that might want to snatch little children and take them from their parents and hurt them. (Sorry if I am freaking anyone out! Like I said I don't want to scare my kids, but seriously guys my biggest nightmare is abductions! I watch too much 20/20 I guess! I'd rather them be terrified to leave my side than get snatched!) He told me later that now that he knew there were mean people who didn't believe in God, he would stay away from them. I used that opportunity to explain that often we might not know who is mean and who is not. That he should never trust anyone or go with anyone without my permission no matter how nice they seem.

Somehow then we got on the topic of the "mean people" not knowing God. I explained to him that is why whenever we are around people we should make sure to tell them about God, in case they don't know. Then, heaven came up and we talked about how when we leave planet Earth that is where we go to be with God. Jackson asked, "When do we come back down to Earth?" I explained we don't. We stay in heaven and live with God.

So....then....he asked. "When I go to heaven, will you go there with me?"

WHAT!!!???

I explained the best I could that yes I would end up in heaven, too. Our whole family would. He said that Preston might be scared of God since God might be so big. He wanted to know what God looks like. I was explaining beautiful with light all around him. I told him eventually we would all be there. Then, I tried to find a lighter topic of conversation.

Later at bedtime when he was saying his nightly prayer, he prayed: "Dear God, please have all the mean people know God."

Oh, my. This is tough! I am so glad he has a tender heart. I just hope I can keep it that way, and that he grows more and more. And, I need to devote more devotional time to my little P. Maybe I can convince him God is in "chage" instead of Buzz Lightyear! :)