It was a delight to meet with eight-year-old A. She has been at Lake for over a year now. She started attending when her mother became LAC’s Director of Early Childhood Ministries. She really likes the music and shared how people are really nice. She also met one of her now closest friends. Then she said, “ Getting baptized was a really important time in my life.” She was five when she said a prayer to accept Jesus in her life, and was seven when she was baptized.
She said that her mom and dad, her old church and the teachers here at Lake have taught her the most about Jesus.
“Pastor Carol has taught me a lot. Her crafts are awesome. We made a bow and arrow once. This one weekend I came to all three services and did the same craft all three times. It was fun every time! I love hanging out with Avery, Christiana and a few others from my Sunday class. I really like the teachers and everyone here.”
She continued by sharing about her baptism. Her mom got her flowers and she received two devotional books and two Bibles. “As soon as I got out of the water, people were clapping and at that moment I knew this is what I was made for. Oh and we had angel food cake at my party – yum! It’s my favorite dessert so I crave it often. My dad and I love sweets. It runs on the his side of the family!” she said as she laughed.
I asked her to tell about a time where God helped her through something difficult. “When I helped my friend get through some of her emotional issues; I feel like Jesus gave me the ability to do that. She wrote a thank you letter one time saying how I help her a lot.”
It was so encouraging to hear how someone so young has experienced ways to be there for her friend. I shared with her how God gives us ways to show love to our friends and she agreed.
“Another way God has helped me is that I used to think ‘Why did He make me so sensitive?’ But then He showed me why through a dream – it was amazing,” said A. The dream was that God made her so sensitive so she could take care of people and animals.
She told me that some of her school friends are not Christian. “One of my friends is half Buddhist and half Jewish. Most of my other friends don’t believe in anything. I am never ashamed to share. I respect their religion, but I show them through the things I do. Like I stopped my friends from doing something mean to someone. I’ve never really tried to hurt anyone, ok well maybe not never! But I never want to hurt anyone…I’ve gotten letters saying I’m really nice. It’s really encouraging to hear that.”
In closing A shared how she feels like Lake is her family. In response I expressed that we are so happy she is here!
For more details about Early Childhood Ministries visit us https://www.lakeave.org/early-childhood