Jesus Cry!

For the very first time, my girls actually got the story.  I mean really, really got the story.  

For 2 years now we've been taking the girls to church every week, singing songs about Jesus and hearing stories all about Him.  We've been having nightly worship time with them - Chris on the guitar, me corralling them to try to at least stay in the same room while we sing.  They do love it and it's been a pure joy seeing them begin to learn the words to the songs they sing!  But I never really knew if they were getting the stories....tonight, they got it.

Tonight, the story was about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the beautifully written to a 2 year old story book talked about the children waving palm leaves and laying their coats down for Him to ride over and singing "Hosanna!  Jesus is our King!".  And then the part of the story came where Jesus felt the rejection of the Pharisee's and stopping and weeping over the city of Jerusalem (hence the picture above from that page).  The child-like written story said "Jesus cried.  Jesus was sad" and had that picture on the page of the tear on Jesus' face.  The way it was written was very powerful to my two little two year olds.  Their demeanor changed as they both zoned in on the story, then zoned in on his face, and the tear trickling down it.  "Jesus cry."  "Jesus sad."  That's all we heard up until we were laying them in their cribs for the rest of the night.  It was like a beautiful broken record, these two tiny voices saying "Jesus cry."  "Jesus cry."

Chris and I kept telling them that Jesus was ok now and that even though there were some who were mean to Him that He knows we love Him....that Savannah and Madeline love Him....Mommy and Daddy love Him, and that makes Him happy.  They listened so intently to us telling them this....but the record remained broken "Jesus cry. Jesus cry."  I laid the book down and Madeline went for it saying "More! More!"  This was the first time ever they have wanted us to read more....the first time they have shown a hungry desire to learn more about Him!

As I laid them down to those words "Jesus cry", I sang Jesus Love Me to them in the dark as I do every night...and this time it had more meaning than ever as it comforted their very disturbed little two year old hearts over Jesus being sad! I couldn't help but feel amazed at how powerful our God is....He knows how to touch the hearts of two little 2 year olds....He knows how to reach them!  At this age!  He knows how....of course He does.  

What a powerful role I and my husband have as parents to these two precious little ones.  The stories must continue.  The singing must continue.  And following God's lead on how to teach our girls about Him must continue.  It is the single most important role I have as a mother in this life that I've been given.