God Family

"Some days my heart gets so distressed. It gets too full, and then I am mean to my brother and sister. I don't like those days."

Oh, sweet Natalia, I can understand every word you are saying.

"Other times, I just do it (be mean) to the pillows.... I like those days more."

Feeling fully inadequate, but still being the parent in the conversation, we talked about how maybe it would be better to give the fullness of a distressed heart to God instead of squeezing, stepping on, (two things she assured she would NEVER do to her siblings) or hitting pillows or her siblings.

She agreed, that was a good idea. Actually, she thought it'd be nice if she could just pray to God and "he could just take away all the bad from my heart".

We talked about how we are broken, and sinful, and in a sinful world. The sin likes to come back. But, God tells us we should pray without ceasing. We can constantly ask for His help and His forgiveness.

We talked about my own anger, something she has seen more than I care to admit to. My frustration, my impatience, my yelling. All categorized so neatly by my gracious daughter as "yeah. Sometimes you make mistakes too."

We decided we were going to pray about our sinful heart and our quick anger, asking for God's help. Then thinking about little Val snuggling on my other side I asked if she wanted to pray too. The head nod was emphatic.

"God, please forgive my sin."

Now, let me tell you how huge those words are, up to this point Val has prayed to follow suite. She usually thanks God for everyone she can think of, a new exciting thing, and then sparkle wings. Cute, but when discussing God she generally says "THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

Here she was asking Him to forgive her. We talked about it, and Natalia piped in a bit of what it means to be a God girl (aka Christian that is a girl, her words). We talked about how Jesus died for us, that whoever believes in him "should not perish but have eternal life"

Did she believe? Yep.

We then went to wake up dad.

"God took away my sins, and I am a God girl!"

I translated because insanely excited three-year-old jabber and half asleep 30-year-old ears don't always mix well. He congratulated her and went back to sleep.

Natalia asked if Daddy was a God man and I a God women. Yep. She asked Christopher if he was a God boy. Of course, she already knew she and Val were God girls.

"That means we are a God family."