A Black Heart Turned White

Sara (age 2) is the little girl who now lives in the house we will be moving into mid-December. She and her parents went on a little trip and were gone for the past couple of weeks. They got back late Sunday night. Monday morning, they knocked on our door and her mom said that Sara had missed us so much and wanted to come play. Fun...and so sweet. We had a good time with her.

At one point though, Hadley needed some adjustments (of course, I'm not talking about chiropractic work here). :) We went to her room and I was explaining to her that her actions were not right. She was basically being a bully to the others and I had to give her a spanking. We talked about how she was being and what she should do instead. I always try to paint a clear picture of what they are doing that is wrong. So, this time I told her she was acting like the soldiers who killed Jesus and it made Jesus very sad (I didn't just pick that story out of the blue; they are seriously mesmerized by the story of the cross; when they play the whole 'good guy vs. bad guy' game, the bad guys are always 'the soldiers').

It didn't do any good. We got done with the spanking and I was asking her questions about what she should do in the future. She said, "I don't want to...I want to be mean."

At all times during times like this, I am begging God to tell me what to do. :) Seriously, you just gotta have help, you know?

She said that and I was like, "God?" :)

I immediately knew what to say (good job, God).

I said, "Hadley, your heart is black."

Now, let me back up here. I have NO idea where the kids heard this, but that is THEIR explanation for the condition of a heart (or whatever else) when something is BAD. I'm not sure if Joel explained 'sin' to them in this way at some point. Even if that's the case, it's funny...must've made a real impact because we never say this. They do though...and whatever they are talking about is always BAD when they do.

So, I said that and it literally took her breath away. She gasped and looked at me instantaneously with these worried eyes...and immediately she started crying. She asked me, as she 'came up for air' during her sobbing, "Can Jesus make my heart all clean?" Ahh, relief...I knew she'd gotten it. It seriously scared her when I told her that...and I am so glad that she takes that so seriously that it did scare her. I told her that we could pray for Him to make it clean. She immediately started nodding her head that that's what we should do. I prayed and Jesus forgave her. She then asked, "Jesus made my heart all clean?" I said that He had, that it was all white...her face beamed immediately and she threw her arms around my neck.

Man, the change in her little spirit (and her actions). I am always amazed at what some time in discipline can do, but today was a great scene. And, such encouragement...they really are getting it, bit by bit. The eternal things that we are trying to instill in them...that take what seems like eternity to teach them (over and over and over and over again, right?)...it is so worth it...and it really is working. Victory. So encouraged today. So proud of you, Hadley. And thanks, Jesus...it is YOU at work in her.