Tonight I was downstairs working out and Doug was working at the kitchen table when Evelyn came out of her room, asking for me. Doug asked what she needed.
"I can't sleep. I am having some bad thoughts", she said.
Doug probed a bit more.. then this:
"I feel like the devil is trying to get in my heart."
Before I go on, I should give the small back story to this. Her Sunday school class has been doing a weekly devotional and last week the topic of discussion was about temptation, the devil, and how to do our best to avoid them. We haven't had deep conversations about satan with Evelyn. She knows about sin, about the "sneaky snake" and the first sin, and how sin separates us from God. But the whole concept of the evil one is not an easy one to explain to a 5 year old, especially my smart, deep thinking, and easily worried one!! I struggled with her many (and good) questions about it as we went thru her devotional. I mean really struggled. We got thru it, but I was sure I had left her with more questions than answers. And apparently I was right!
Doug took her into the living room and they had a very real yet sweet talk about it. He told me some of what he shared with her, and I do so wish I could have been there to see and hear the entire conversation. I was moved to tears as he told me about their time together. Doug shared verses from his heart that I know were applicable and comforting to her. One of which was 1 John 4:4:
"...greater is the One that is in you, than the one that is in the world."
He reminded her that she indeed has Jesus in her heart.. and the devil doesn't stand a chance against that!
After their talk she went back to bed and was asleep soon after, no doubt more at peace thanks to God working through her awesome daddy.
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." ~Proverbs 22:6
Praying that as we teach and train our kids about hard stuff like this, that we can do it in a way that is gentle yet true, and in a way that makes them not worry, but be excited about the power of Jesus and what He did on the cross.
Greater is HE.. indeed!!
.jpg)
