The words of a 5 year old...

Today I got to spend time with some of my favorite people in the world: my 8 year old neice Kiesha and my 5 year old nephew Ethan.

I told my sister Britt today as her and I were watching Kiesha and Ethan play basketball near the house with my nephew/brother Tre: "I honestly hate seeing Kiesha and Ethan grow up so fast. But, I love how they're finding even the most simple things amazing."

Those words lingered on in my mind after spending hours of taking walks, playing basketball, picking flowers, watching Cars, playing soccer, eating snacks, singing songs, talking about family, friends, summer and Jesus, taking pictures and just watching the clouds.

There has been something amazingly refreshing today about being around them. I love how they're finding the simpliest things adventurous and full of excitement. Even their onery smiles have created a fresher heart in me- even though they use it so often only to get what they want. *grin*

Today sweet Ethan and I went out on a walk. He asked for some time of just him and I, and so we started down the sidewalk hand-in-hand. We were walking down the street and he looked up at me with his precious brown eyes and the sweetest smile and said: "can you tell me more about Jesus? The things I don't know. Can I know the whole story?" I suddenly had the biggest smile on my face that if anyone were to walk past they'd wonder what on earth could make me this happy and want it too!

The two of us kept walking and I simply told him: "Like I told you before, Jesus is and was perfect. There is nothing wrong with Jesus. He can't sin." Ethan asked me in wonder while grasping my hand: "What's sin?" I said to him: "Sin is the wrong things that we do. Jesus can't do those things. Sin is when we lie, when we hurt someone on purpose. And you know those people you see on tv that kill another person? That's called murder, and killing someone is also a sin. Sin is the wrong things that we do, the wrong things that people do." Ethan simply said back to me: "Oh... and Jesus can't sin? Jesus is perfect?" "Yes, Ethan, Jesus is perfect, He doesn't sin. I told you before that Jesus died for us, well, if Jesus wasn't perfect then He couldn't die for us. If Jesus sinned and did bad things you and I do then He couldn't die for us because He would be a bad person also. But, we had to have a perfect Person die for us, and that was Jesus." Ethan once again opened his mouth and amazed me with his words: "And Jesus was God and a person, right? Jesus, died. Why did Jesus get killed. How'd they kill Jesus?" "Jesus was on earth because God sent Him to earth because we sin, we do bad things. And Jesus had to die for the bad things that we do because He is the only perfect One. God had Jesus come to earth as God because He was perfect but also as human because He was covered in skin like us. He looked like us, talked like us, ate and felt like us." Ethan sliley said: "Hmm... okay. I get that. But, why'd He die and how?" I said to him, still with his hand grasping mine and his brown eyes frequently looking up at mine as we walked: "People wanted to kill Jesus because He said He was the Son of God; which He was the Son of God because God sent Him to earth. People wanted to kill Him because He was perfect and said He knew and was God, the only One that could save them from their sins."

Ethan asked me: "He said He was God and people wanted to kill Him for it?" I simply said back to him: "Yes." And Ethan, full of confusion and anger and frusteration said back to me: "How dumb! That's just dumb! They killed Him! How dumb." After a few seconds of silence he asked me once again: "How did He die?" "Do you know what a cross looks like? (he said yes.) The people hung Him on a cross, they put nails in His hands and His feet to keep Him there. They let Him die, and His was mom was there to see it all happen. But do you know what else happens? " Ethan looked up at me confused and full of wonder and he said: "No, what happens next?" "Well, after dying on the cross the people put Jesus into a tomb (I explained what the tomb was) and after 3 days Jesus came back to life! Ethan Jesus is the only Person who can come back to life. And you know what? Jesus knew it was going to happen. He knew He'd die for our sins, the bad things we do, but He also knew that He'd rise from the dead." Ethan full of excitement let go of my hand, took a few steps infront of me and jumped as high as his little legs allowed. I said to him: "And Ethan when Jesus rose from the dead, He went back into Heaven. Do you know what that's called? (he said no) it's called 'ascending,' He ascended into Heaven, He left earth after dying for us and went back to Heaven." I looked down at him and he had the biggest smile on his face. He ran and jumped a few feet ahead of me as he shouted: "Jesus went up and up. He went up again, again, again, again, and again and then He reached Heaven! He's in Heaven now!" And then He giggled the rest of the walk back home... and he said to me many times: "Teresa, I love Jesus."

The one last thing he said to me is what stuck. He grabbed my hand again and asked: "Teresa, why do some people go to Church when they don't even like Jesus? Some people sleep in Church, some people don't like Him." I was in awe. I remember walking with him at that moment and saying the simple words of "Thank You Jesus." I said to Ethan: "Some people don't believe in Jesus, they don't believe any of the things I told you. Some people just go to Church because they just go, some people want to know Jesus and others don't. Some people want to follow Him and others don't." Then Ethan finally said to me: "How do you follow Jesus?" "Ethan, the older you are the easier it is for me to explain it to you. But, to follow Jesus you have to really believe what I just told you; and really love Jesus. When you follow Jesus you read your Bible, and go to Church... but those things aren't the most important. You have to really love Jesus and do what He tells you to, you have to know what He tells you to do by reading the Bible. You really have to love Him, and want to love Him and believe in what He says." Ethan finally said back to me: "Teresa, you know what? I really love Jesus. I really do."