The Hoskins Family: December 2007

WE CAN PRAY AT HOME
The preacher had run overtime last Sunday at church (by about 45 minutes) when Hope’s Sunday School teacher brought the kids out to the parents still sitting in the pews.

When Hope came to us, she whispered, “Mom, I’m ready to go home!”

I said, “He’s praying right now, we’re almost done.”

Hope looked at me with a classic teen-age look (although she’s only 4) and said with incredulity, “Mom, we can pray AT HOME!”

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WE ATE ALL THE CHEESE
I was putting Hope to bed and reminding her of what we’d learned that day about angels. I said, “Now remember, Angels are messengers from….who?”

Hope proudly said, “Mary!”

“No, No, NO! The Angel was a messenger TO Mary FROM God,” I quickly emphasized.

“Oh Yeah, that’s right mom,” Hope said. “Mommy, tell me the story about Moses and the golden cow statue.”

I told her the story and she said, “Mom, sometimes it’s ok to pretend that statues are god.”

“NO! It’s Never OK to pretend that or even to think that,” I stated in a very FIRM voice.

I went on to explain to her that there is only ONE God, and that He is a jealous God. I told her about the 10 commandments and then started sharing the gospel message and God’s plan of salvation with my (by then) extremly sleepy and blurry-eyed 4-year-old.

I came to a point where I asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. She slowly nodded yes and then sat quietly looking me right in the eye for several seconds. Then, with a big irresistible puppy-dog-eyes kind of look she very seriously said, “Mom, Abby and I ate all the cheese!”

I had to hold in a laugh and try not to smile to big, “That’s okay honey, we can buy more cheese at the store,” I assured her.

“But Mom, it’s all gone,” she said.

Again, I bit my tongue in effort not to laugh, “It’s ok honey. I love you. Good night and sweet dreams.”