We set up bunk beds in the boy's room this weekend. They have done so great with them so far with both sleeping and learning the rules. The top bunk is within reach of the fan for Chase so that has been one of the biggest things I have worried about. This morning the boys were in their room reading books... or so I thought. As I walked past their room I overheard Chase telling Jacob to watch what he can do. I opened the door (which neither of them realized) and saw Chase playing with the fan, making it rock. I immediately had images of them doing this with the fan and it falling out of the ceiling. Long story short Jacob was sent upstairs to play (he had not broken any of our rules about he beds) and Chase was disciplined. He sat in time out for a little while to think about what he had done wrong and what he should have done differently and when I felt like he had sat there long enough I called him over to talk to him. The conversation went like this....
Me: "Chase, what did you do wrong?"
Chase: "I touched the fan when I knew I wasn't supposed to touch it."
Me: "That is right. And by touching the fan when you knew you weren't supposed to, you were directly disobeying Mommy and Daddy, right?"
Chase: "Yes."
Me: "Was that the right choice or the wrong choice?"
Chase: "The wrong choice and a sin."
Me: "Right. What do you need to do now?"
Chase: "Not do it again. And tell you sorry."
Me: "O.K."
Chase: "Mommy, I am sorry... for ... for touching the fan when I knew I wasn't supposed to touch it."
Me: "I forgive you, Chase, for that wrong choice and I hope you won't do it again. You also need to talk to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you for your wrong choice and for choosing to disobey Mommy."
Chase: "Yes... (pause) But Mommy, Jesus doesn't remember my sin."
Me: "You have to ask Jesus for forgiveness first and then He forgets about it. Jesus died on the cross for the sins and bad choices to make every day. He died for your sin when you disobeyed Mommy by touching the fan. He died for your sin when you talked disrespectfully to Mommy and He died for all the other sins and bad choices you have made and will make. What Jesus wants most of all is for you to ask Jesus into your heart and to ask Him to forgive all of your sins."
Chase: "Dear Jesus, I'm sorry for my sins and for disobeying Mommy and Daddy when I touched the fan. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins and for loving me. In Jesus name, Amen."
There are so many times throughout my day that I am disciplining one or the other, soon to be three, and most times it does not go this way. I hate to admit that there are times I discipline without following up with this type of conversation (which I know is so important so I always hate it when I let this chance get by me) but then there are times like this morning when this kind of conversation occurs and I know that the Lord is working in Chase's heart and preparing him for the moment that he will ask Jesus to come live in his heart. I know that these conversations and the things he learns from them are so important and that it is in these times that the Spirit is working and I'm so thankful for that! Charles and I pray together that the Lord will get a hold of our boy's hearts at an early age and that they will walk closely with Him, learning to love Him and follow Him with everything they have. I am so thankful that I am able to be a stay at home mom with the boys. I am so thankful that when opportunities arise like the one today that I am the one disciplining and taking advantage of the opportunity to point them more and more towards Jesus. Chase is so smart and is learning so much ... his comment today in the middle of our talk caught me a little off guard but then makes me realize just how much he is learning about our Lord and Savior. Most importantly, he is learning that he is a sinner and will make bad choices... he is learning that we all do. He is learning that Mommy and Daddy fail daily but that we are loved regardless and that both Mommy and Daddy are children of God, whose sins are washed clean because of what Jesus did on the cross. He is learning that Jesus loves him no matter what and so do Mommy & Daddy!
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