Laura M Bailey

I Cried Today

Today I’m revisiting the memory of what occurred last year… I will probably cry again!

NOV 28, 2020

I cried today….My daughter Krista and our grandbabies, Adalie and Ezra have been here for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping.  This morning at breakfast, having seen wrapped gifts appear under the tree, the kids began talking about Christmas.  I told them that I was excited too to celebrate Christmas because it’s Jesus’ birthday.  They wanted to hear more.  I was trying to explain it in a way that little ears could understand and remembered that I have the gospel of Luke on my Netflix list so to give them a visual reference, decided to put it on though I thought it was too adult to hold their attention for long.

Adalie climbed up on the seat nearest to the TV.  To my amazement,  she was rapt, watching intently without a word and never once looking away!  This was a miracle happening right before my eye’s as we can’t get through a cartoon or kids movie without copious amounts of chatter, wandering attention and straying off to play!

I was so amazed that I had to snap a picture, capturing this epic moment. Adalie discovering the greatest gift of all.

As it goes through the entire gospel, about 3/4 through, she turns to me for the first time and asks… “Did Jesus die?”.  She came over and crawled up on my lap, waiting for my answer… my heart flinched at the question that I would have to give an answer for to this small child.

I began to explain about what happened to us with Adam & Eve, how it brought badness into all of us, the world and effected our relationship with God, Our Father….why Jesus came to us, what He did for us and how He took our bad from us when He died BUT the story wasn’t over even though the devil thought it was…How He rose again, where He went and that He’s making a place for us to be with him forever.  It was difficult to try covering so much and in a way that a 6yr old could grasp.

Just then, Ezra called over asking about the presents under the tree and who they belonged to.  I told him I didn’t know but not to worry, he would have some there too.  Then I asked him if he was going to give presents.  He said yes.  Then Adalie threw her arms around me in a hug and proclaimed “I’m going to give God to people!”, “Mimi, we have to tell the whole world!”

And then I cried.

Published by Laura M Bailey

This blog is my attempt to write down the bones of a crazy, random, uncharted life and all the shoes I've worn along the way... From beach baby to city girl, wife. Mother, grandmother. Daughter, sister, coolest Aunt ever, construction worker, grease monkey, writer, poet, Publicity director, public speaker, tattoo studio owner and artist, crafter, cook, music promoter, race horse owner, breeder, Rancher and above all a flawed human profoundly in love with God. Within these stories I hope you'll find the sorrows , joys, inspiration in ordinary places, sheer hilarity of life and all the common threads that connect us all.

28 comments

      • Laura, I remember this one, and can’t believe I didn’t comment before. Don’t you love those “teachable moments”!?
        I get the feeling we’re kindred spirits.💕
        If you’re ever in Kentucky, swing by Louisville and let’s meet for coffee. 🙂

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      • I would love that! And, I’d love to return to Kentucky! We traveled from Missouri to the Great Smoky Mountains this last May and spent a few days in in Lexington as well. If I’m as blessed as to get to come back to Kentucky, I will definately look you up! I have the feeling we are kindred spirits too! And, if you’re ever near The Lake Of The Ozarks Missouri, you’ll always have a place to stay!💕

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    • I’m so glad that I snapped that picture on my phone. I was in complete awe, as if witnessing a miracle, watching God move through this moment…the innocence, pure, uncomplicated, simple receipt of the most magnificent gift ever given, the genesis of faith and the utter joy with which she so naturally grasped the concept of our commission….I’m giving God! We have to tell the whole world!”
      …suffer the little children to come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven”
      “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
      “And a little child shall lead them”

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  6. First post I read on my return and you turn me into a hot mess. Just finding out that my kids are not going to make it home for Christmas has really hit hard, but this is just the inspiration I needed to help struggle through this unprecedented, very unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. You are an Angel!!

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    • Awww Cheri, I cannot hope to put into words how large my heart felt in that moment, how expanded my spirit felt and how it remains so filled with awe and wonder….like a blessing, a holy gift, to witness a light ingnite in the darkness. And a spiritual sigh, relieving the burdensome worry of imparting the most important thing to those we love the most….faith. 💕

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  9. And I’m crying!!

    Laura, this is awesome! You took the time to share the gospel in such a way that a child could understand! Most would not.

    And what a moment that was for you! I know it was totally priceless!

    Mimi, We have to tell the whole world! 😭🙏🙏🙏

    Reminds me of the “little” talks I would have with Brandon & Erin at that age.

    Now, Mimi, it time to be “that” grandma. Cultivate that innocent joy of Christ through consistent conversation about Jesus with her.

    Oh, I’m overwhelmed by this!!

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    • I am struck by such contrast too. Don’t we adults wrestle, strive, analyze, over analyze and do I fine job mucking things up and making things so difficult? How simple it all was for her….that very simple, beautifully pure and easy faith. With arms wide open, just recieved it, embraced it, wrapping her arms around it and with a joy that wants to share it with the whole world!
      It’s the gift and the best news ever…let’s go tell everyone! 🙌🎉

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  11. I cried, too! Yes, the perfect Christmas gift! A six-year-old who GETS IT! Something tells me Adalie is an evangelist! You never know when those wonderful teachable moments will come.
    I was spending the evening with a family of refugees and brought “The Nativity” for us to watch. I brought a “Veggie tales” dvd for the little girl to watch first, but she wanted to watch “The Nativity,” so we all watched that together. The little one watched the whole thing and asked questions all through it. I found myself telling the whole Christmas story to her (and her parents). Turns out a 6-year-old level is a good way to talk to people who don’t speak a lot of English, too.

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    • That’s magnificent! 💕
      Suddenly, we see a world gone mad, all around us, we are witnessing what appears to be a great falling away…
      And yet, there is an undercurrent of something greater.
      It’s not broadcast publically but we see it and I rejoice. We are evangelizing, sharing our faith with one another and a new hunger and thirst for it is rising. Even in our little children and they are recieving it and with power!
      I pray that this are prophetic moments and they will grow to do just that…give God to the people and tell the whole world!🙏💕

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      • I’m so glad you shared your special moments with us. I think as we share moments like these, others are going to see opportunities that they possibly didn’t realize before. We may also keep them from making the mistake I almost made in assuming the grown-up movie was over the little girl’s head – or even assuming someone wouldn’t be interested in the gospel – How do we know until we try?

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      • Amen to that! Hopefully each story will help emboldened others to share their faith and realize there’s a hunger for it in others who may be afraid or not know how to ask for it.
        Though we may not see the fruit of it ourselves…someone else sent to water, others fertilize, yet others prune…plant those seeds! The roots of faith, the stem, branches and fruit, all spring from the seeds.

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    • Oh Revruss, it was such a precious moment. I was in awe, just watching her, riveted, drinking it in. She’s so active, full of energy and motion constantly suddenly on complete pause as somehow she knew what she was hearing was the most important thing in the world. A discovery so magnificent it ignited her little spirit and she wants to give it like a gift to everyone…Mimi, we have to tell the whole world! Like the spirit blowing through me, I wept in unspeakable joy.
      She truly got it, as small as she is and got the message of our purpose.
      Out of the mouths of babes….
      This is what becoming like little child looks like!
      I told her that she was right. That’s why he left us here instead of taking us with him…so we would tell the whole world.
      I pray it was a prophetic moment and that in life she will give others the gift of Jesus and share Him with the whole world. 🙏💕

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