Making His Faith His Own

Last night as I was tucking Mason into bed, I had such a precious and priceless moment with him.

He seemed a little unsure of himself, and then he sheepishly said, "Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"Well, sometimes at church...when we are singing...well...I just want to lift up my hands to praise God. But, I'm afraid people will think I look silly because I am just a kid."

"Oh, Mason!" What could I say??? "That is wonderful honey! You should always raise your hands in praise anytime you feel like it. Mason, there is verse after verse in the Bible that talk about lifting hands in praise to God. Let me ask you something."

"Okay."

As I lifted my hands, I asked, "When my hands are up in the air like this, what am I holding on to?"

"Nothing."

"That's right. My hands are empty because it signifies that I have given everything over to God and that I am holding onto nothing on Earth. Now, let me ask you something else. When my hands are raised, is there anything held above my hands?"

"No."

"Exactly. That is because I am giving God the highest honor and praise I can give Him. There can be nothing above Him. Mason...raising your hands up to the Lord in praise is simply a posture of worship. Truthfully, because of my understanding of who God is and all that He has done for me...it is hard for me to sing without raising my hands! My posture in worship should reflect what is on my heart and, to me, that is what it means to me to raise my hands in praise."

Now that he was smiling, and at ease Mason said, "Mom, sometimes at school I really want to read my Bible, but I am afraid of what the other kids will think. I'm afraid they will think I am weird."

"Well, Mason, honestly they might think just that. However, if your motives are pure as to why you want to read your Bible then you should read it. If you want to read it to know God more then that is great! If you are wanting to read it to show off then you probably should not. Why do you want to read it?"

"Because I want to grow in my faith."

(Okay, by this time I am fighting back the tears that come to a mother when she is overwhelmed by seeing her children begin to make their faith their own.)

"Well, Mason, I have something for you. When you were a baby a friend in High Point, Dana L., gave you a Bible. It was a really nice Bible and I wanted to wait until you were old enough to take care of it to give it to you. You see, it's a 'backpack Bible' and I think this is the perfect time to give it to you. You can carry it to school tomorrow. Then it will be with you whenever you long to read it."

I gave him his Bible. He immediately began thumbing over the pages.

We hugged. I praised God in my heart. Then Mason said the sweetest words to me, "Thanks, Mom."

Mason - it is truly an honor and a privilege to see you grow! It is exciting to see you pursue your own faith. A mother could not ask for a greater blessing!