empathy

I've been praying for our Jackboy to have a bit more empathy.

poor Jack and his allergies.

He's a boy and a toddler so I don't expect tears of sadness when someone else is sad, but we did start praying for true remorse and acknowledging when others are sad or he has hurt their feelings.

And so I watch it begin, thank you Jesus. I imagine 3 1/2 is about when it starts, but man. It has been so incredible to watch him grow. He's getting it. His little heart is forming and I just keep praying that I don't get in the way.



I see a lightbulb go on when we talk about Jesus dying on the cross for us, in our place, because He loves us. He asked so many questions, about the thorns on His head and the ouchies on His body (we were reading from this kid's Bible.) I watched and listened as the dots were connecting and Jack just starred at the page and then said, "I don't want to look at this anymore, Mommy." We turned the pages and I was able to tell him that Jesus is alive and all better and He came to life. But He had to do that for us because He loves us.

The author wrote it like this,

"And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. like when he healed that little girl. and stilled the storm. and fed 5,000 people.

But Jesus stayed.

You see, they didn't understand. It wasn't the nail that kept Jesus there. It was love.

"Papa?" Jesus cried, frantically searched the sky. "Papa? Where are you? Don't leave me!"

And for the first time--and the last--when He spoke, nothing happened. Just horrible, endless silence. 

God didn't answer, he turned away from his Boy. 

Tears rolled down Jesus' face. The face of the one who would wipe away every tear from every eye."

um, yeah. I was barely holding it together as I read that aloud to my boy. He stared at the page for a long, long time. Empathy and sadness filling his little heart.

oh, how awesome it was to share with Jack that Jesus doesn't stay dead, that He came back to life! We flipped back and forth between the picture of Jesus on the cross and the picture of Him alive and well. That was a neat moment.

//

I love seeing Jack connect the dots, his faith growing and his heart opening up to learn about Jesus.



He asks so many questions and repeats so much of what we say (good and bad things) and is ever keeping up with my words and reminds me when they aren't true.

I told him the other day that Zoey and I would leave if he didn't hurry up and get his shoes on. (i was a little frustrated.) He cried and I felt bad for saying it. It wasn't true, I would never leave him. So I apologized when we got in the car and told him I would never leave him behind.

a few days later I said it again without thinking (we're working on putting on our own socks and shoes and my little man doesn't dig it.) when all of the sudden he burst into tears, "you said it again! you told me you wouldn't and you did!"

ouch.

i apologized again and we hugged and i was reminded how important words are and how greatly my words can build him up or tear him. no pressure, mel. we listen to steve green a lot in the car and there's a song that goes "encourage one another and build each other up, build each other up...don't tear each other down." i try to pray that song for my own heart when we sing it too.

they are in a fort building stage. every day. hours of entertainment. totally worth it.

oh, the baby girl is awake and reminding me she needs to be picked up. i'll leave you with this.