Tim's Big Day

Saturday evening: Tim was one stinky kid. He’d been playing outside all day and really needed a shower. So, I threw him in there. He was busy washing and getting clean. When he said a most wonderful thing to me. He said, “Dad – I’d like Jesus to be my best friend.”

I was thrilled, but – as Tim is only 5 – I wanted to know that he knew what he was doing. We (Tim, Lyn and I) talked for a while about it. He seemed to be have a decent grasp on what he was asking. He understood that he did “wrong things” and the Jesus would forgive him. He understands that, since Jesus is his best friend, he can talk to him and Jesus will talk with him.

I told Tim that – if he really meant it – he would have to tell people that Jesus was his best friend. That would mean going in front of the church and saying it. He agreed.

As I thought about Saturday night, I came to the conclusion that the abstract things would come as Tim grew older. God gave me great peace about this.

Sunday morning: Tim told PJ (my Pastor) what he had decided and asked if he could tell the church – and PJ agreed. At the end of the service, during the alter call, I ran down to the kids room and grabbed Tim and ran back upstairs.

For the benefit of full disclosure: last year, Tim had said the same thing and we had gotten to the top of the stairs when he freaked and locked up his little body. I was waiting for that to happen this time. We turned the corner and started walking up. Tim hesitated, but kept on walking (I was *so* proud).

He made it to the front of the church and PJ put a (live) mike in his hands and asked what he wanted to tell everyone. Tim – froze. I stood behind him and asked a couple of questions. Still, nothing. PJ asked Tim to come to him (he was standing near the pulpit). Tim look one look and dove behind the pulpit. Hitting his knees (not in an act of prayer, but in an act of getting as small as he could) and sliding as far under the pulpit/fort as he could. He then said – as everyone laughed – that he wanted Jesus to be his best friend.

Only God, PJ and I heard that, so PJ asked him again. Tim said that he wanted Jesus to be his Lord; and that he wanted to follow Him for all his life. I was laughing and crying at the same time: totally proud of my boy, full of praise of my Savior.

Father’s Day – a week early.
Andy

PS: If you’re interested in watching the International House of Prayer’s 24 hour-a-day/7-day-a-week prayer service. God TV is streaming it (currently for free). You can watch it at www.god.tv/theprayerroom it’s really something. I recommend only doing this with a broadband connection – as it takes up pretty intense system resources.