What is the age of accountability? I think it is different for everyone. Some people, it may be 5, but for others, it may be 14.
Today something happened with Lydia and I hope that I handled it the way that God would have wanted me to. I saw it as a "teachable moment" that Lydia could internalize.
Scott was outside, painting the shed. Lydia wanted to go outside with him. I said that was fine, but to stay away and not to play in the paint.
A few minutes later, the back door swings open, Lydia is crying and Scott says, "She got paint on her hands!"
I took her to the bathroom, all the way saying, "What did I tell you about the paint?!" We washed her hands and the paint came right off but Lydia continued to cry. At first I thought she was crying because she hates to be dirty, but her hands were clean and she was still upset.
I asked her (and maybe this was a leading question) "Are you crying because you feel bad for getting paint on your hands after being told not to play in the paint?" She shook her head yes.
I thought this could be my opportunity to talk about sin and God's forgiveness.
I told her, "The Holy Spirit is telling you that what you did was a sin. But do you want to know the good news?" She shook her head yes. I continued, "If you pray to God and ask forgiveness, He will forgive you for your sin and He forgets it. Then you have to try really hard not to do that again." I showed her how to pray and what to say, but I also said that she had to pray it, not me.
A few minutes later, she stopped crying and peeked her head out the door at Scott. He said, "Hey, you stopped crying! Are you ok now?"
Lydia said, "Mom, I stopped crying, I ready to go back outside." I said, "Ok, let's get your shoes back on. Would you like to pray and ask forgiveness?" She said yes and prayed "Dear God, please forgive me."
She ran outside and NEVER touched the paint the rest of the afternoon!
Later that evening, I was talking to Scott about it and he told me the story: She was talking to him and asked if she could touch the green paint, and he said yes, it was dry, but the white paint was still wet. She got distracted and accidentally touched the wet white paint. She didn't do it on purpose, but I'm not really sure why she kept crying.
I hope I did the right thing with Lydia. I KNOW God has BIG plans for her! He reveals Himself to her often! I know my job as a mother is to teach her about God & what it means to be a child of God.
Today something happened with Lydia and I hope that I handled it the way that God would have wanted me to. I saw it as a "teachable moment" that Lydia could internalize.
Scott was outside, painting the shed. Lydia wanted to go outside with him. I said that was fine, but to stay away and not to play in the paint.
A few minutes later, the back door swings open, Lydia is crying and Scott says, "She got paint on her hands!"
I took her to the bathroom, all the way saying, "What did I tell you about the paint?!" We washed her hands and the paint came right off but Lydia continued to cry. At first I thought she was crying because she hates to be dirty, but her hands were clean and she was still upset.
I asked her (and maybe this was a leading question) "Are you crying because you feel bad for getting paint on your hands after being told not to play in the paint?" She shook her head yes.
I thought this could be my opportunity to talk about sin and God's forgiveness.
I told her, "The Holy Spirit is telling you that what you did was a sin. But do you want to know the good news?" She shook her head yes. I continued, "If you pray to God and ask forgiveness, He will forgive you for your sin and He forgets it. Then you have to try really hard not to do that again." I showed her how to pray and what to say, but I also said that she had to pray it, not me.
A few minutes later, she stopped crying and peeked her head out the door at Scott. He said, "Hey, you stopped crying! Are you ok now?"
Lydia said, "Mom, I stopped crying, I ready to go back outside." I said, "Ok, let's get your shoes back on. Would you like to pray and ask forgiveness?" She said yes and prayed "Dear God, please forgive me."
She ran outside and NEVER touched the paint the rest of the afternoon!
Later that evening, I was talking to Scott about it and he told me the story: She was talking to him and asked if she could touch the green paint, and he said yes, it was dry, but the white paint was still wet. She got distracted and accidentally touched the wet white paint. She didn't do it on purpose, but I'm not really sure why she kept crying.
I hope I did the right thing with Lydia. I KNOW God has BIG plans for her! He reveals Himself to her often! I know my job as a mother is to teach her about God & what it means to be a child of God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8
