Kari sat safely strapped in her car seat beside her mother. These freeway rides were sometimes scary, with speeding cars and roaring trucks rushing down four or five lanes. Kari was almost 4 years old and usually took comfort in playing with her doll. Today she heard her mother say, “Uh-oh” and looked ahead to see several lines of red brake lights warning to stop! “Trouble ahead,” her mother said, slowing to a near stop. She reached a reassuring hand over to Kari. The little girl’s fear was partly overcome by wanting to see.
“Did the cars go bang, Mommy?” The lane they were in led them right beside a badly mangled car. Beside it on the pavement lay the body of a man, bloody and still.
“Don’t look, Kari,” her mother warned her. But Kari had seen, and for miles, even after reaching home, in her mind she kept seeing that tragic accident.
“Will he die, Mommy?”
Kari’s mother wanted to comfort her little girl, but she knew she should speak plainly to her. “He might already have died or he may get better in the hospital. We hope he will get better, but we don’t know. Kari, honey, you know that children sometimes are hurt in accidents or just on a street near home. That’s why it is so important to ask the Lord Jesus to wash all your naughty sins away. Then if you should die suddenly, you can go straight to the loving arms of Jesus in heaven. You do know that you are naughty at times and your heart needs to be washed clean of your sins, don’t you, Kari?”
“Yes, Mommy, I know, and I want to do it now, Mommy. I want them washed away RIGHT NOW!”
“Then let’s both kneel down and tell the Lord Jesus that you want Him to wash your sins away and be your Savior. Tell Him that you believe He will do just what He says in the Bible.”
Kari sweetly and simply said the most important words of her life. Getting up from her knees, she beamed, “Mommy, when I wake up my eyes in heaven, I’m going to give the Lord Jesus a great big hug!”
ML-05/28/2017