the right time

October 17, 2009 is another day that I will remember always.
It is the day that Lydia's name was written into the Book of Life.
In the past several months, Lydia began to ask questions. Not just "what's for dinner, mama?" but "Why did Evelyn get sick? How can Evelyn be in your tummy and in heaven? and Can we have another baby named Evelyn that's not sick and doesn't die in your tummy?" These are kid questions from a child grappling with death for the first time. They become doorways to conversations about eternal life, God and His goodness. About faith, believing and hope.
These conversations took place at bedtime, snuggled deep under the covers of our bed where she loves to be before bed. A story just for her, my arm circling her little frame. Quiet time together. Mama time.
After explaining our need for Jesus to make us clean: "I wish I could reach into my heart and take out all the sin!" This little five year old has such perceptiveness. We talked about the fall of Satan, free will and sin.Then, our need for Jesus. In each of the conversations, I would ask her if she wanted to pray with me. We talked about Jesus knocking on the door of her heart.
It was as if she was with me all the way up to the final question: "Do you want to pray with me, Lydie?" "No, thank you!" was her cheerful reply.
Last night, I tucked Lydie into bed and prayed for her as I usually do. This time, I prayed that when Jesus knocked at the door of her heart, that she would ask Him to come in.
Later, Steve went in to say goodnight to the kids. A few minutes later, he came out with a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes. "You need to come here, Adrienne."
I knew what had happened. I just knew it from his face.
He had been tucking Lydie into bed and told her it was going to be cold that night.
"We're almost into winter, Lydie. In some places, it is already snowing."
"I want to see snow, Daddy. I could have a snowball fight, make snow angels. I could make a snow family with you, Mama, Nathanael, me, Abigail and Evelyn. But Evelyn would be alive and I would see her."
"You can see her in heaven, Lydie."
"How?"
"By asking Jesus to come into your heart."
"How do I do that?"
He asked her if she believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Yes. If she knew that she was a sinner- did bad things sometimes. Yes. Then he asked her if she wanted to pray with him. Yes.
It was just the right time, he said later. He's right. In all of those conversations, I just kept planting seeds. And praying over the ground, waiting, watching for a tender shoot to burst through the quiet ground. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (I Corinthians 3:6-7).
In all of this, we are quietly sobered and in awe of God and His ability to bring life. It struck us both later on that it was Evelyn's passing that led Lydia to salvation. In an earlier blog, I wrote that even in her short life, she has touched many lives. And now, her sister will join her in eternal praise of the One who has given them both life.
Praise You, Lord Jesus,
Soli deo gloria