Clay

I’ve been worried about Clay (name changed), a five-year-old boy, I teach weekly. His father is not saved, and Clay learned a lot of his attitude toward God and the Bible from his father. It was problematic enough that every time his mother dropped him off, he threw a full-fledged temper tantrum.

    During the Easter Bible lesson, I took special pains to explain the Gospel in terms that could be understood by the several children who never attend church. However, when I invited the kids to talk to me about salvation after the lesson, Clay was the only one who approached me. “I think I’ve sinned,” he announced in a clear, sweet voice. I stared at him–was this the same child who refused to make eye contact, answer questions, or string 2 syllables together? Was this the same child who screamed and went boneless every time his mother brought him?

     As we continued talking, I had to keep resisting the urge to pinch myself as Clay answered every question succinctly. When I offered Clay the chance to ask God to take away his sins, I expected Clay to be awkward about talking to an unseen Individual. But he looked straight away with a simple trust and asked in his sweet little voice, “Will You take away my sins?”In the weeks that followed, Clay’s entire attitude changed. He began asking and answering questions during Bible lessons. He began coming to class with little or no reluctance and sits in the front row. He watches me with saucer-sized eyes during the entire Bible lesson. I’m so thankful God used Easter

to give Clay the best type of life.