Out of the Mouth of Babes

I've counseled quite a few young people in my life, and I'm always humbled by the experience, as well as overjoyed.

I had the great pleasure of witnessing to a young lady this week who ended up praying to accept Jesus as her Saviour. I shared my testimony with her first, telling her about my life of agnosticism and the eventual realization of my sinful nature and my asking Jesus to forgive me for my sins and save me. She and I prayed together, and she told me afterwards she'd never felt so happy in her whole life.

This girl was not only ecstatic about her new found salvation, but she brought a friend to me today who was interested in knowing more about the plan of salvation, but who still had questions. I'm not sure who was doing more witnessing - she or I. Finally, the friend admitted that she didn't think she was quite ready, and didn't fully understand. I told her that was ok, that once she did fully understand, she didn't have to depend on me or anyone else for that matter - she could simply pray to God, ask forgiveness for her sins, and ask Jesus to save her.

To which her friend (my new little convert) replied. "It's ok. You need to really understand what you are doing before you get saved. It takes some people longer than others to fully understand it. It took Ms Green 41 years to understand it."

I had a hard time not grinning from ear to ear. Indeed, Skyler, it did take me 41 years to understand it. Some of us are a little slow I guess.

Thankfully, God is longsuffering.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3