Being Nice to Jesus

To Grace, this is what it means to obey. Lately, when we are talking to Grace, and by talking, I mean, reprimanding, I find us using words that I assume she knows. Words like "no" were not to hard to teach, but words like "obey" is taking a while to learn. I just assumed she knew what it meant when I said, "Jesus wants us to obey." And she'd just look at me and say, "I love you, Mama..." obviously paying no attention to what I just said. Well, I got to thinking - she didn't know what "obey" meant, or who Jesus is or really, why should she have to obey, other than the fact that Mama and Daddy get mad when she doesn't!

I've been trying my best to describe to her what the word obey means and put logic behind it - and at one point I said, "it makes Jesus sad when we don't obey." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was unhappy with that explanation. I just have never read in the Bible where Jesus is sad when we disobey. And if I find a passage like that, I'll willingly stand corrected, but I think that must have been something I have heard someone else say. But, I said it, and now I have to figure out what that means to Grace. After a few weeks of telling her she needs to obey and then explaining what it means to obey - she has the concept that when she doesn't obey, Mama and Daddy are sad and so is Jesus. Now, whenever she gets into trouble and she is reprimanded - she'll run into her bedroom, curls streaming behind her, proclaiming over and over, "I'll be nice to Jesus! I'll be nice to Jesus!" So adorably cute that it melts my anger and I'll never forget how she sounds when she says that.

Lately I've been thinking about just how great a responsibility it is to teach your children the knowledge of Jesus Christ and how the Bible tells us to live. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by it all, and think what can I be doing to explain it better so that she understand Jesus and God and the Bible and prayer. But then I have to step back and say to myself - good grief, she's only 2! What do I expect from her? I'm 31 and don't have it all figured out yet!

I know she doesn't understand who Jesus is and I know she is just saying she'll be nice to Him right now to get herself out of trouble, but I have faith in the fact that even though she doesn't understand, it's a stepping stone. It's just a little part of the foundation of what I want to teach and model for the girls as they grows older. We read Bible stories every night, we take them to church, I try to fit the B-I-B-L-E in with all the Hairspray songs, we pray before going to sleep and at meals and eventually they will figure out who it is they're "being nice to." Then maybe Grace can explain it to Annie better than I did!