"Mommy, I need to tell you something."
I had no idea what he was about to say, but any time he prefaces his speech with this, it's always insightful.
Clearly, I had no idea.
"I was reading along and suddenly I read something and--I started crying. Do you know why?"
I asked him what he read specifically.
"It was something that I'd never seen before, that just flashed at me and I knew I should be doing it and I hadn't been. When I read it, my heart, and stomach, and lungs, just hurt."
After a quick prayer for the right words, and biting back sudden tears at his tender heart, I told him that was the Holy Spirit talking to him, and whenever that happened, he should pray and ask for forgiveness for not doing right, and ask Jesus to help him in the future do what is right.
"One of the verses was, 'A wise son maketh a glad father.' But I know I don't always make wise choices."
I assured him that his daddy and I were both very proud of the young man he was becoming and how I understand that at eight years old, it is quite difficult to make every decision a wise one. I shared with him how that even as an adult, I sometimes make unwise choices. Together, we made a plan where I could point out unwise choices he makes and guide him toward better choices.
It is my prayer that my little boy's heart remain as tender as he grows up as it is now. I saw this quote on facebook and realized that it sums up exactly what I think. I do make mistakes. So many of them. It's a miracle that EJ isn't a wild hooligan, really. But I know that God can overcome each one of my mistakes and turn my bumbling attempt at parenthood into a young man zealous of serving God.