I was sitting on the edge of the swimming pool with just my feet in the water when Matthew came over to the fence that enclosed the pool. He reached up with his left arm, curling his fingers through the wire of the fence and began telling me all he had been doing during his first three days of kindergarten. When he was finished he asked, “Are you going swimming?”
“I’m not sure; this water’s pretty cold,” I answered.
“I’m hot!” said Matthew.
“Well you have two shirts on,” I told him.
“How do you know?” he asked.
“I can see your blue shirt peeking out from under your green one.”
Matthew quickly put his arm down so I could no longer see the blue shirt and said, “Now you can’t see it.”
“No, I can’t see it, but I know it’s really there. There are lots of things you can’t see, but that doesn’t mean they are not real. Do you have a stomach?”
“Yes,” said Matthew.
“You can’t see it, but you know it’s real because you put food in it every day. Right?”
“Yep,” said Matthew, looking hungry at the very thought of food.
“The love of God is real and you can’t see that,” I said.
“The Lord Jesus is real too,” said Matthew, “and you can’t see Him.”
“Where is the Lord Jesus now?” I asked him.
“He’s in heaven,” my little friend answered.
“You’re right, and He’s just waiting until the last person trusts in Him and then He is coming to take all of us who have had our sins washed away up to His home in heaven. Will you be going?”
“No,” he answered.
“Why not, Matthew? Haven’t you let the Lord Jesus wash your sins away?”
“No,” he answered again.
“Have you ever been bad, Matthew?”
He shrugged his shoulders and looked like he wasn’t sure.
“I’ve heard your mother call you, and you just hid and didn’t answer her. Was that good?”
“No,” said Matthew.
“Did you ever hit Raymond?” “Yes,” admitted Matthew.
“Was that good?”
“No,” said Matthew, shaking his head.
“Every time we do something wrong that’s a sin. Don’t you know that not even one sin can ever be in heaven?”
Matthew nodded.
“Do you know that God had to punish the Lord Jesus so that our sins could be washed away? We should thank Him for that, shouldn’t we? Have you ever thanked Him?”
Matthew shook his head no.
“God will make you His little boy if you will let Him, then you’ll be part of God’s family. And when the time comes you’ll be able to live in God’s house. I couldn’t just come across the street now and live in your house, could I? I’m not one of your family. But when we trust the Lord Jesus to wash our sins away, then He gives us His life and makes us members of His family. Trusting the Lord Jesus is the most important thing for us to do in this life. It’s more important than going to school, or eating, or anything. Don’t you think you ought to thank the Lord Jesus for dying for you and let Him wash your sins away?”
“Yes,” said Matthew solemnly.
“You know, heaven is a wonderful place! There won’t be any night there because we’ll never be tired or need to sleep. There won’t be any sun there because the glory of the Lord will be so bright it will light all heaven.
“And there won’t be any ‘booboos’ there like you have,” said Matthew, pointing to my crutches.
“No, everyone will be well and strong and happy there,” I agreed.
“Does God have a big house?” asked Matthew.
“Big enough for everyone whose sins are washed away in His precious blood,” I answered and then added, “If I’m ever going to go swimming I’d better do it right now. And what should you do right now, Matthew?”
“I should ask the Lord Jesus to wash my sins away,” answered Matthew.
I hope Matthew did that right away, don’t you? And if any of you who are reading this story haven’t let the Lord Jesus wash your sins away, I hope you will do it right now, too, so you’ll be ready to go to heaven when the Lord Jesus comes. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18).
ML 03/04/1990