My Spiritually Sensitive Six-Year-Old and an Ellie Story

Josie-Tatum is my ever spiritually-sensitive 6-year-old. At four years-old, she asked, "Why did God create a devil anyway?" In China, when she was still five, as we passed a statue of Buddha, she said, "We shouldn't be looking at him, because we worship Jesus.

She has such a heart for orphans, prays for them nightly, and wants to go "somewhere" to help them. She told me she would like to ask Santa to help the orphans, but she didn't know if he could. She has said, "If you didn't have to work, and I didn't have to go to school, we would go all around the world and bring home every orphan Daddy would let us bring home.

I've been praying about a possible mission trip we could go on together, walked through a few doors, only to have them shut later, found details of some trips I didn't feel called to. A friend recommended a contact Brenda Sutton, but I never followed through. Then, last night we had a guest speaker in our church--Brenda Sutton.

So, last night I talked with her about Josie-Tatum's desire, and her age....and Brenda said, "Why don't you come with us to South Africa this summer?" She told me about the orphanage there that they will work with, the school, and the evangelism that will take place. My instant reply, "We'll pray about that."

My biggest concern....money.

I do not want to stay in GA if God wants Josie-Tatum and me in South Africa this July. But...I don't want to run ahead of God and go to south Africa if He wants me here. I had thought JT and I might go to Guatemala. It looked like the trip for us until I heard back from the coordinators who have an age requirement of 12 years old.

I began to think now was not the time. We have so much debt. Perhaps God was preparing our hearts for the future.

And, then......Brenda came to our church. Is that coincidence? Someone had told me to call her, and I didn't. Then, our WMU director invited that same Brenda to come to our church. I talked with her last night just to ask her if she ever ran across a short trip she thought was appropriate for a 6 year-old. When I told her of Josie-Tatum's heart, she didn't hesitate to ask, "Why don't you come to South Africa with us?" AND....a teacher who teaches on the same hall with me is going to South Africa on this trip.

Oh, please help me pray. I want God to make it clear. I want to have great faith, but I don't want my flesh to be making the decision to go. How do you really know when it is God's voice you hear speaking?

Thank you for the prayers of many!

Now the Ellie Story


Today we were walking home from my parents' house. Ellie was taking her time, as usual, with her walker, stopping to smell the roses...umm play in the dirt....along the way. I told her I was going to get chicken out of the freezer, take it inside, and come back to help her up the steps. I said, "Don't walk near the mud puddle."
(I know, I know.....)

Well, I went inside with the chicken, put it in the sink, and went back outside. As I stood on the back porch, I saw Ellie with a handful of dirt, standing right on the edge of the forbidden puddle. I yelled, "Ellie, what are you doing?"

And, do you know what the little booger said? She said, "Mama, what were you thinking, leaving your baby girl outside by herself?"

Never a dull moment!
Robbie