He Knew...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

This is a verse Nathaniel and I have been reading from his very new, very own big boy Bible that Jon and I bought for him a couple of weeks ago.  I would ask him if he understood what the verse meant and then we would go over it.  I also asked him if he knew what the difference between Heaven and hell was.  Of course hell is that really, really hot place that no one wants to go to.  So he said he wanted to go to Heaven.  We ended that discussion on Wednesday and on Thursday night before we started our prayer time, Nathaniel claimed, "Mommy I want to say a prayer and ask Jesus to live in my heart."  And there we have it folks, the newest member in God's family!

Friday night when Jon came home from his business trip, Nathaniel told him the good news.  We wanted to make sure Nathaniel really knew what his decision meant and he explained everything to us.  WOW!  Then as Jon and Nathaniel left for piano lessons, I heard Nathaniel ask his daddy, "Daddy can we talk about Jesus in the car?"

I've been wanting to share the good news with everyone, but I wanted to make sure Nathaniel told a couple of people before shouting it from the roof tops (or from Facebook) and now he has so I can tell everyone I know!  There was no coaxing, no guilt trips and no pressuring.  This was the genuine decision of a beautiful 6 year old little boy.  All we did was read to him, and talk to him.  God worked all the rest out.

After church today, I was alone in the car, and it hit me..He knew.  The Lord knew long before this little boy was even born that one day there would be a child who would need a home and who would also want Jesus to live in his heart and so he would need a family to encourage that desire.  He knew that this child would be named Nathaniel. He knew this child would be born in the Philippines.  He knew this child would spend the first 26 months of his life without a mommy and daddy.  He knew that this child would be chosen for our family.  And He knew that on Thursday, October 25, 2012, this 6 year old boy named Nathaniel would ask for forgiveness, acknowledge that Christ died on the cross for his sins, and then ask Jesus to live in his heart.  He knew that this child would need a a loving family and loving church family to guide him and teach him the ways of the Lord.

 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."  Psalm 139:13

He knows.  The Lord knows our life story before it is even played out.  He knows our strengths and our weakness'.  He knows where we will succeed and where we will fail.  I am so thankful that He knew Nathaniel would make this decision and that He gave me the honor to be there when Nathaniel said his simple yet most meaningful prayer ever!  It is a moment I will never forget and I can not wait to see the changes in Nathaniel and how this will affect the rest of his life...I don't know...but HE KNOWS!