Morning Chats with Mara

I know I have mentioned before how much I love the mornings with Mara after the big kids leave for school. I try so hard to get all of my jobs done before 7:30 so that that last hour before I either leave for the office or we leave together to drop her off at school can be spent doing something just with her. One on one time with the kids is such a gift.

Last week we had received a note from Mara's teacher that she had raised her hand as one who wanted to ask Jesus to come into her heart. Apparently they had been reading the book, "Heaven Is For Real" and talking about how we all get to go to Heaven someday if we have Jesus in our heart. It brought tears to my eyes when I read the teacher's note that she said she wanted to be able to see her grandparents in Heaven someday. We obviously talk a lot about our family members who have passed away-- and she specifically mentions Pappy Fred and Pappy Ray a lot.  I do everything I can in telling stories and sharing pictures of all of my grandparents to keep their memory and influence alive for the kids. Although Lauren and Mara never met Grandma Mary, they all know how much I loved her and how much she would have adored them. And they know she baked the best  cookies and pies and taught me to love cooking too. But I digress.  Because of the note from her teacher, I have been talking to her a lot about Heaven to help reinforce that she made a very special choice to ask Jesus into her heart. 

This was a precious moment I wanted to write down so I never forget it. 

Yesterday morning, Mara and I were talking and randomly she said, "Mommy if we close our eyes too long, will we die?"  I was a little surprised but I told her that no, only God could decide when it is our time to go be with Him in Heaven. She said, "Well that's what happened to Pappy Fred, right?"  I told her that Pappy Fred's heart was tired and that God had just decided that it was his time to go to be with Jesus in Heaven. And then I told her, through tears, that although we all miss him, that he loves Jesus so much and I am sure he is so happy to be in Heaven with Him. She then asked if we could go to Heaven to visit, and I laughed and said how I wished we could. Then she asked if you need to ride on an airplane to get to Heaven.  "No," I explained. "You don't ride in an airplane to get to Heaven. When we die, we will just open our eyes and we will be with Jesus."

This is my favorite part. Serious as anything she said, "OH!  I know...Jesus has a wand." 

Something like that, sweet girl. Something like that.