His first communion

Today my oldest took his first communion. He joined the church today, and it just happened to coincide with our monthly communion. I realize as I say this, it sounds like we are Catholic, and we're not. But this is quite a big deal to him and to us. After church we celebrated by letting him pick his favorite place for Sunday lunch (Longhorn--where we never get to go anymore!!) I don't remember my first communion--that's because when I was young, we were in a church that didn't hedge the communion table. I took it freely right along with my parents from the start without understanding what it meant. But it wasn't this way for my children. I'm glad that they will remember the first time. I'm glad that they will know why they waited. I'm glad that we have these rules in our church that keep them guarded and safe from eating and drinking judgment on themselves. Now, I've known Trand was ready for a long time. I don't believe that if he had taken communion last month, he would've been condemning himself. But in our denomination, you must take a Communicant's class (basically a church membership class for children/teens in the church to teach them the doctrines of our faith), write your testimony, go before the elders and join the church before taking communion (as a child.) I think this is important. I think church membership is important. I think it's important for us to have authority over us that will help us be the parents we should be and will help my children by coming alongside of them as well. I do not believe that the church trumps the leadership of the family, but I do believe that they hold each other in check. I realize that there is a difference of opinion in our denomination (and others) that holds to the belief that it should be the parents, not the elders, that decide when a child takes communion. Personally, I could go either way in most circumstances. But I have seen those in the church who would not be good decision makers on this point. That's why it's so important to be in a Bible believing church that holds the family in high regard and wants to do everything they can to strengthen them.

Now Trand has always been my deep thinking child. At 3 1/2 years old he accepted Christ as his Savior. And as I was the one who led him to Christ--I can tell you he knew exactly what he was doing. None of my other children have been that young when they did, and right now at 3 1/2, I can't imagine Cama-Jane "getting it." But he did. I remember the theological discussions we would have with me pushing him in the stroller all over Lookout Mtn. He would ask me about heaven and hell and about the elect. Maybe this is one of the reasons why I had five years with him by himself--he needed that time to really learn. At 8 years old he started contemplating the meaning and purpose of his life. He has not stopped! Over the years he has shared with me different plans that he feels that God has for him--some right now, others in the future. I can't tell you how he has grappled with this. He struggles daily to fulfill a purpose, for his life to be meaningful. He has this inner turmoil to live this extraordinary life for God. I can tell you, as noble as this sounds, it is NOT easy to live with a 13 year old who is struggling with this issue!! Sometimes I just wish he was like every other "normal" teenager--just living in the moment. It would be a lot easier. But then again, I know better. I know that he should be living a life of meaning. It shouldn't just be about the pleasure of today, and I'm really glad it's not. It's just hard to ride his emotional roller coaster! He is the most amazing kid I know. He longs for heaven--really and truly. He longs for eternal life with his Savior.

I'll end by sharing a paragraph that he wrote when he was 8. For an assignment I asked him to write about Jesus. This is what he wrote:

"When Jesus came on earth he did lots of good things like miracles. And he never sinned. And best of all he died on the cross for our sins so that we can be perfect like him."

I remember I cried when I read that. My thought was "HE GETS IT!!" That's what it's all about. Jesus died and took our sins to give us his own perfection.  And today, finally, I got to take sweet communion with my son, my brother in Christ. What a glorious day!