It has begun...

On Thursday, Grace came home from school and pulled me away from my grocery sorting to talk to me. She explained a situation that had happened at school (side note: she and her sisters attend a Christian school): During lunch, somehow the conversation led to an opportunity for her to share with a friend that Jesus took her to heaven in a dream. This friend then began spreading the word among her classmates. As one could imagine, this created quite the stir among these 2nd graders. Most mocked her and said that she was lying. "You can't just go to heaven and then come back again!" A few chose to stand by her and take her at her word. While relaying to me this story, she expressed how she was hurt by all the ridicule. Wow....honestly, I wasn't prepared for this conversation. We talked about unbelief and various levels of relationship with Jesus. But that He loves us all just the same. I validated her feelings and she assured me that she had already forgiven her friends. Then I encouraged her to take some time and let Jesus love on her and heal her heart. I still need to revisit this conversation with some new thoughts to share with her...

Weeks before this, Elizabeth told me of another situation at school. She told her teacher at school, "Jesus told my mommy that I am going to raise the dead when I grow up." Elizabeth's perspective was that this teacher was skeptical. I know this teacher pretty well, however, and tend to think my daughter was mis-reading her. Anyway, a little while after this, Elizabeth told me in the car on the way home from school that in Bible they learned about the story of Peter raising the little girl from the dead. Apparently her teacher looked at Elizabeth and smiled as she was teaching this. She said that her teacher told the class that only certain people can raise the dead. At this point, Grace, who was also in the car with us, very gently and matter-of-fact said "That's not true. Anyone can raise the dead. They just need Jesus' power." That's my girl!!! I'm not sure if some of the details of this situation at school might be a bit "off". Elizabeth's teacher is a gem and I've learned that, at this point in her young life, Elizabeth often perceives situations through a lens of insecurity and rejection. Still working on that...

Anyway, I've realized that my children are already being faced with opportunities to discern and defeat spirits of religion and legalism. It really doesn't matter what type of school they attend, there will always be opportunities to pull down strongholds in the heavenly realm! Jesus, HELP! Give us wisdom as we raise these warriors!