5,8 & 10 year old Christians

I am certain one of the "laws" of socially acceptable blogging is to avoid certain topics for posts ... and probably religion is right up there near the top of the list - BUT, what the heck ... I will share my little story anyway!

Last week I lost my grandfather after a month-long, fairly intense illness, surgery, recuperation and subsequent illness. We buried his body on Saturday with the help of the State Police (impressive ceremony especially when you realize he had been retired since 1965). It stinks, I miss him, my extended family is hurting ... loss of any type is just a major bummer. However, my family (immediate and extended) are Christians and most of us are Methodist, with a few Catholics thrown in.

Yesterday, on the way to lacrosse practice our eldest asked: "Mom, if Pop-pop-pop didn't believe in God, would he still go to heaven because of all of the great things that he did during his life?"

Me: "Well, first of all, Pop-pop-pop DID believe in God, so he is in heaven ... but no, our beliefs say that only by believing in God do we go to heaven regardless of our acts of goodness and kindness here on earth. The people in the Old Testament of the Bible tried to earn their way into heaven and we have talked about how difficult it would be to "earn" your way into heaven by your good deeds alone. We are fortunate that God allows us into heaven simply by believing in him."

AND FROM THE BACK SEAT, THE NEWLY TURNED 5 YEAR OLD SAYS: "No, Mom, you don't have to believe in God to get into Heaven, God says we have to believe in Jesus to get into heaven and I do so I will see Pop-pop-pop, and Mom-mom, and Mom-mom-mom and God and Jesus someday."

Someone has been listening in Sunday School ... and mommy needs to get her facts straight!!

Another anecdote from the last few weeks, the evening my grandfather died, our daughter asked if she could say blessing over dinner because "I have a really good one": Dear God, thank you for this food. Please take really good care of Pop-pop-pop because he is in heaven with you now. I hope I see him again someday ... just not too soon. Amen

and again I say, Amen!