More Rejoicing In Heaven ~

After working late into the night Friday evening, Saturday morning came all too soon. As I stumbled upstairs still struggling to wake up, I was greeted with a barrage of cheerful, "Hi, Mommy"'s and "Can we have cereal for breakfast?" and "Are we going to do something fun today?"

Without even waiting for so much as an answer all five of them proceeded to run around laughing, and playing like it was a holiday or something. Too much noise and happiness for that time of day, IMO. Something was in the air.

If ever I wished I could drink coffee without later feeling like killing myself, it was that day. I was so tired.

Once the kids were settled down enough to eat, I overheard Dillon going around the table asking his siblings "Is my heart black or red." They each answered "black", and received an "EEEEEEH, wrong answer!" in reply. Alia and Jordan disagreed, none too gently I might add, pointing out the fact that he had never accepted Christ as his Savior so there was no way his heart could be red. I then joined the conversation, and asked Dillon why he never had.

Again there was much confusion because he insisted that he had prayed after Jr. Church with Kenny once. He didn't remember what he said, but affirmed that he had repeated the words after Kenny. After several minutes of questioning, it boiled down to the fact that if he died right then, he did not know FOR SURE that he would go to heaven.

I told him to pretend that I was a little girl from across the street and he was the soul-winner. I asked him if it was possible to know for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was going to heaven when I die. He said yes, and we went over I John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

He then proceeded, with little help from me, to tell me the plan of salvation. Without a doubt he understood everything, so I asked him if he would like to pray right then. He hesitated then said, "Ummm, no, I really would rather pray with Daddy."

Alrightythen. :)

Josh and Jordan had left about 10 minutes before to go soul-winning, but I called Josh right away and told him. For his own peace of mind he preferred to wait until after soul-winning was over so he could put to rest any of his own doubts about Dillon's readiness. The last thing either of us want to do is pressure our kids into salvation before they are ready and can know clearly in their own heart that it is/was their decision.

Josh's parents told him that he had prayed and gotten saved when he was five, but in later years he couldn't remember ever having done it, and his pride kept him from getting assurance until he was seventeen. With that and other's similar testimonies in mind we wanted all the work and convicting left entirely up to the Holy Spirit.

Dillon couldn't wait for Josh to get home. He was so excited, but he was also a little afraid, I could tell, that something might happen before he could pray. But he kept insisting that he didn't want to pray with me. He wanted to wait.

Josh got home in record time and immediately sat down and went over everything with Dillon. He confidently answered all the questions, but wanted Daddy to "tell him the words." :) It was so sweet. I couldn't help but cry as I listened. He was so earnest. Every time I looked his way the rest of the day he had a smile on his face. He was so happy and relieved.

After all the excitement I decided to go lie down and try to take a nap. I was sleeping so. good. when Jordan opened my door trying to wake me up gently without panicking. It didn't work. He was so scared he couldn't speak coherently, and I was so sleepy that I couldn't even make my mind grasp what was going on. Finally he managed to get across the message that Daddy wanted him to come and get me quick because Dillon was choking really bad. I went from zero to ninety in two seconds flat. By the time I came up the stairs the crisis seemed to have past, but everybody was very shaken. To lighten the mood somebody mentioned that it was a good thing that he had gotten saved. I wish you all could have seen the relief in his eyes!

Josh told me that he had been working on his Sunday School lesson when he heard a strange cry come from the boy's bedroom. He instantly knew something was seriously wrong. When Josh got there he found Dillon grabbing onto his throat, leaning over the toilet convulsing. Josh took him into the kitchen to try to calm him down and said he saw his shoulder and chest muscles convulse again pretty badly, and then it seemed to go away as quickly as it had come on. It was all very strange. We still have no idea what it could have been.

But I know the devil is real. If he sees even half of the potential that I do in Dillon, and I'm sure that he does, he would want him taken out. I rest in the fact that greater is He that is in him, than he that is in the world. God is in control and he has more for Dillon to do. Much more. A dog can't even bark at one of my little ones without God knowing about it beforehand and giving the okay. I know that the Lord has great plans for each of my children. As difficult as it is for me to conceive, He loves them even more than I do, and they truly are safer in His care than they ever will be in mine.



P.S. Dillon was keenly interesting in getting baptized and wanted to call Pastor right away and ask him about it. {Completely the opposite of Alia who was afraid even to get saved because she knew she'd have to get baptized afterward. :)} There was a death in the church though and Josh and I knew he would be busy with the family all day. We told Dillon he could tell Pastor first thing the next morning.

Sunday morning he got up and said, "Mommy, I get to get baptized today!" I looked at him regretfully and said, "Not today, Buddy. Pastor has to have two days notice so that he can fill up and heat the baptismal. Soon though."

When we walked into the church, lo and behold, the baptismal was all ready to go! Pastor was THRILLED that Dillon had gotten saved and was so eager to get baptized. That evening was the Lord's Supper, too, so he got to jump in with both feet. He was one excited little boy!