A Big Spiritual Week for Jax

I thought I'd share a bit about two cool things that happened last week. First was Ash Wednesday at our church. I had heard rumors that Jax had told our senior pastor that, "He didn't want his ashes" when Jax was asked if he was going to get ashes at the service. So, as a result, we figured he "wasn't ready" and sent him to the nursery.

Well, after the service I went to pick him up. Jax saw my ashes (in a cross on my forehead) and got upset... "I want ashes, too!" I told him I had heard he didn't want any, and he said he did now. So, we went to see if the pastor was still in the sanctuary, which thankfully he was (along with two others). I motioned him over and told Jax to ask if he would put ashes on him, and Jax did just that. Glenn (our pastor) gladly went to get the "ash bowl" and kneeled down to Jax and placed a sign of the cross on his forehead. Jax then went, "Hey, that didn't hurt!" Haha...I think he was scared it would! But the really cool thing was that yesterday (Sunday) at church, he was sad that his ashes had washed off. "I want them on all the time!" Missy and I couldn't help but smile... A guy behind us, upon hearing Jax, suggested he get a forehead tattoo, haha...

Yesterday also was very cool to me as Jax decided to participate in the beautiful sacrament of communion for the first time at church. We had explained it to him before (well, in the best way we figured a 4 1/2 year-old would understand), and he decided it was time. He quietly kneeled at the altar between Missy and I and took communion...I almost started full-on crying (I did tear up some...) after he took the bread (body of Christ)...he said "Thank you" to our associate pastor, who administered it to him...

I certainly don't believe Jax was "born saved" (I do know many smart folks who think that God has mercy on young children until they acheive some sort-of "age of accountability" when they can comprehend The Cross, sin, etc... I'm just not sure what I think about it biblically right now), or even pretend to fully understand what his relationship to God is right now at such an early age...but I pray that through experiences like this, through how Missy and I live, speak, and worship Christ, etc., that our sweet little boy will one day realize that Jesus work on the cross makes true reconciliation to God possible for him...