October 21, 2024
Peyton gave her heart to Jesus last Wednesday night. She’s eight. (She had been asking her parents questions about Him and wanted to be saved.)
Her mom brought her to meet with Pastor Tommy before church. After an important talk and asking her several questions to make sure she understood what it all meant, he led Peyton in a prayer that would change her life. She wanted to be baptized as soon as possible.
Pastor Tommy told her that she needed to tell people about her decision, so she did. To be honest, he probably wouldn’t have needed to tell her that; she couldn’t keep it in.
Peyton promptly told me and the other children’s teachers. Her joy was evident. It bubbled out of her. She kept swinging her arms and giggling. What a precious thing!
I thought about the date and announced, “Peyton, today is your spiritual birthday. It’s 2/2/22. What a cool day to give your heart to Jesus! You will remember that your whole life!” She giggled again.
If you have prayed that same prayer and invited Jesus to come into your heart, can you remember the feeling? Oh heavens, I can! I even carried my Bible to school for a while. (I was eight, too.)
There are plenty of stories in the Bible about people who had Peyton-like joy after they met Jesus.
When Andrew met Jesus (John 1:41), he didn’t keep it to himself. He ran to tell his brother, Peter.
The woman Jesus met at the well in Samaria (John 4) was so overjoyed, she left her water jar, went back to town, and told all the people about Him. Verse 39 reports that many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of her testimony!
On a night over two thousand years ago, some shepherds felt that same excitement while watching their sheep. How could they not? There were angels – lots of them – who brought good news for everyone: the Savior had been born! After searching, they found Him lying in a manger. Luke 2:16-20 tells us that after meeting Him, they spread the word … and all who heard it were amazed. They returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. I’ll bet they were giggling and swinging their arms like Peyton.
I’m wondering: Are we excited about knowing Jesus? Do we tell others about Him? When was the last time we shared the good news of His love?
If you know Jesus as your Savior, I pray you will have a new excitement about sharing the gospel. Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to tell your story. Your knees make shake a little, but He will help you do it!
On Saturday, a lady came up to my beloved (Pastor Tommy) at the deli in Food City. “We are so excited about Peyton’s decision!” she gushed.
It was her grandmother. Peyton had called her with the good news.
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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife and newspaper columnist. Reach her at preacherwife7@yahoo.com.
