Choosing to SEE - Mary Beth Chapman [54]
21
February 20th
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Luke 15:10
In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it
were not so, I would have told you. I am
going there to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2
It was like any other weekday morning in the Chapman house.
The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., the snooze button got pushed until 6:20, and then we were all running late.
When Steven is in town, he usually drives the girls to school. That day, as usual, Shaoey needed to be taken first for her 8:00 start, then he’d come back and get Stevey Joy and Maria for preschool at 9:00.
After prayers and kisses with Shaoey, I sent her on her way with Steven. Now it was time for round two.
I came into Maria and Stevey Joy’s room, and there was Maria, sitting on the floor, pajamas wadded in a pile beside her. If I didn’t get to her before she attempted to get dressed, it was almost a guarantee that she would have on her favorite bright pink, fuzzy snowman outfit, and so that was today’s attire. She was grunting and groaning, trying to pull on her socks. Whenever Maria concentrated really hard, she drooled. So here she was on the floor, drips on her chin and drool running down her neck.
“Maria,” I laughed, “would you like for me to help you?”
Out of the blue, she said, “Mom, is it true that God has a big, big house?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s true! God does have a big, big house.”
“Does it have lots and lots of rooms?” Maria asked.
“Yep, it has lots and lots of rooms,” I responded.
“Is there lots and lots of food?” she asked. Just the thought of food made Maria smile. She loved any part of meal time, snack time, ice cream time, anything food-related time!
Trying not to laugh, and knowing where this conversation was going since she was reciting lyrics from a familiar Audio Adrenaline song, I said, “Yes, tons and tons of food! The best food ever! And you’ll never run out!
“And you know what else?” I added. “God also has a big, big yard where you can play football!”
Maria gasped, and said with complete amazement, “Mom! How did you know?”
I said, “Maria, are you learning a song at school about God’s big, big house?”
She started belly laughing, her eyes completely disappearing, her mouth a big Cheshire cat grin. “Yes, we are! How did you know?”
I laughed with her.
“Mom,” she said, “I wanna know more about God’s big, big house! I wanna go to God’s big, big house! How do you get there? Can I go there?”
Oh, my goodness! I thought. Here she is, four years old, and she’sasking how you get to go to heaven!
When it comes to the spiritual stuff in our family, I’m always afraid that I’ll mess something up or leave out some important part. Not wanting to screw up this key prayer with little Maria, I did what the rest of the world would do: I went to find Steven Curtis Chapman!
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go find Dad so we can both help you understand how you get to live in that big, big house forever!”
I scooped her up, giggling with her, and took her down to the kitchen where I set her on the counter. Steven, just back from taking Shaoey to school, came in and did his best to explain the gospel in four-year-old terms. He told her how wonderful it was that she wanted to go live with God forever because that’s what all of us are created for . . . to know God and to be with Him. He talked about how Jesus made it possible for us to go to that place when we leave this earth, and how if we ask Him to, He will come and live in our hearts. He tried to explain sin and the cross and resurrection and forgiveness.
Then he asked, “Maria, would you like to talk to God about this?”
“Yes,” she said. Then she prayed in her own words, asking Jesus to come live in her heart and to take her to God’s big, big house when it was time.
It was so simple, so sweet, so real – one