childlike faith

last week, bryson came running into my bathroom while i was putting my makeup on, and i could hear hudson crying, somewhere down the hall.

bryson: mom, guess what??? i have some very, very, very exciting news about hudson!!

me: what?

bryson: i just helped hudson accept Jesus into his heart!

me: you did?? are you serious? that's awesome!! so....he said the prayer with you?

bryson: well, he didn't want to say it....so i said it for him.

me: why is he crying then?

bryson: well, i was telling him about heaven and streets of gold and how there's a tree that grows a different fruit on it every month....and he started crying, and he was telling me that he doesn't want to go to heaven because he likes our house too much.

me: wow, honey! that's soooo awesome that you did that with him. the only thing is that if hudson wants to accept Jesus, he has to say the words for himself. you can't really say the prayer for him.

bryson: okay! i'll go try to get him to say it! (runs out of my room)

i walked down the hall and i stood behind the door of bryson's room. i could hear him talking to hudson, and hudson was still crying. i peeked around the corner, and i could see that bryson's hand was resting on hudson's forehead. he was leaning down into his eyes and saying...

bryson: it's okay, hudson. we all have to die. we can either go to a really good place- called heaven....where there are streets of gold and a tree that grows a different fruit every month...or we can go to a really bad place- called hell....where you feel like you're falling all the time and there's a river of fire.

hudson: waa! waa!....i don't want to leave my house.

me: hudson...brother isn't talking about right now, honey. he's talking about someday. do you want Jesus to come and live in your heart?

hudson: he did already.

bryson: well, let's just say the prayer and make sure!

me: okay, you say it and we'll repeat after you.

bryson then said the prayer, while i repeated after him....and hudson got up and climbed up into bryson's bed....all the while crying, saying....i just want to go to bed.

me: bryson, i'm so proud of you! do you think you're going to be a pastor jack someday?

bryson: i don't know...maybe. well.....not a pastor jack.....a pastor bryson!

i loved on him for a minute and went back to my room, to finish getting ready. about ten minutes later, bryson ran in again.

bryson: mom! guess what? i said the prayer with hudson again and this time- he really did it!!

me: he said the words and everything?

bryson: yeah! i had to beg him, but he finally did it!!

honestly, i am humbled by this kid's faith sometimes. it's so simple. he's so sure. he's so bold about it.

a few years back, he shared Jesus with a kid in the chick-fil-a play area. his message to the kid was a bit more to the point, if you will.....

bryson: do you know about Jesus?

kid: no.

bryson: well, do you want to go to heaven and live, or go to hell and die?

kid: i want to live.

bryson: then you better ask Jesus into your heart!

bryson didn't tell me about that conversation until we were driving home that day. and, boy- would i love to have been a fly on the wall when that boy told his mom about it. anyhow...last week, bryson was telling me...i've helped two people know about Jesus. and, you know, mom? i'm trusting that i will see that kid in heaven someday.

wow. one more thing...and then i'll stop braggin' on my kid.

bryson had a chapel performance last week, and after the program his teacher came up to me. she said....

i just have to share something with you that bryson has been doing. when he and i come to an agreement, he'll wink at me (then she imitated it). she laughed and told me about one of their conversations, and then she said....

i also have to tell you that last week, bryson was praying and he was thanking God for many different things...desks, pencils, etc. and then he said...'Lord- You know what You want to do on this earth! So...just do it already!'

mrs. irwin then told me....i was just so moved! i mean, he said it with such conviction! little pastor bryson....

i thanked her and my heart was (is) full.

as much as that boy can work every possible nerve of mine- he has a truly sweet heart. he is very sensitive and very intuitive. i know that the Lord has big plans for my bryson. i am so thankful that i get to be his mommy.

(*i'm not sure where bryson came up with the idea that there's a tree in heaven that grows a different fruit every month...but hey, he's seven.....so i'm not going to argue too much about that at this point!*)