Good Friday

Around here, church hasn’t worked out for some time. It has been our choice to stay home, since worshipping and learning about God with our children by our side is our preference.

Having the church as my second home as a child and while growing up, I very much miss the Holiday services, but none more than the Good Friday services (though Christmas Eve Service is a close second). Good Friday was when I felt God’s love so tangibly. So tonight, on Good Friday evening, we did our own service, and we were fortunate to have three special guests, Elliana, Sophia and Helena Hahn.

Miss Aveline had the sweetest moment, I was reading the story from the Betty Lukens book, and I came to this part:

“But He chose to die. Why would Jesus choose to do this? Because He loved us. He was the only person who could carry out God’s plan and die for our sins. He was the only sinless one to make it possible for us to have eternal life in heaven.”

At this point Aveline interrupted and said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe it, this story is talking about us! How can that be?” I thought that maybe I recognized that feeling she had, as the very same feeling I always had at Good Friday Services. So, after the cousins answered her so sweetly and relevantly, I put my hand around her arm and told her that what she just felt, when she realized the story is about her, was God’s love for her that He was sending to her.

It is my belief that children and spirituality are a delicate combo. I have witnessed Aveline have these experiences of God (such as when she asked Jesus into her heart, that story’s for another day!) and it is my greatest hope that she doesn’t forget, and that I don’t ruin them by adding something that will somehow negate the value of what she just experienced! I told her to hold onto that feeling of God’s love for her, to lock it in her jail-heart (read about the jail-heart here).

So tonight it is my prayer that Aveline stays open to perceiving God’s love for her, that she learns to feel it in each moment, as she draws her attention to it. And I extend that prayer now, for all who read this (as well as those who don’t, but having drawn your attention to my prayer makes you much more likely to be blessed by it!).