Cleaned Up for a Bath

I snuggled under my soft sheets thankful the long day had come to a close when I heard little footsteps. What time is it? 10:30. Through the darkness I heard a little voice. “Take a bath?” I reached for the light.

“Noah, you already had a bath.”

“Stinky.” Distress wrinkled his brow showcasing increased anxiety.

“Come here, Noah.” I smelled his hair, face, and hands.

“Nope, you’re clean!” I beamed my best “you-did-it” smile at him, but he still walked away unhappy.  My eyes followed him into our bathroom. Neil and I exchanged confused looks. What’s he doing?

A minute later, Noah turned the corner with a cup full of water in his hand. “Take a bath?” he said as he dumped the water over his head. “Stinky.”
My eyes met Neil’s. “I’ve got an idea,” I told him.

As I walked Noah back to his room and tucked him into bed, I asked him, “Noah, do you feel dirty?”

“Feel dirty,” he confirmed.

“Noah, when we take a bath, we get clean and smell good on our skin. But when we make bad choices, we become dirty on the inside. Only Jesus can make us clean in our hearts and minds.  God loves us and wants us to love Him, but we can’t love Him well if we do things that make us dirty. Sin is like dirt. When we tell God we’re sorry for making bad choices, He always forgive us. In fact, He forgives us so completely that He makes the sin go away, and we become clean! Do you want to be clean on the inside, Noah?”

“Clean on the inside?”

“Yes, Only Jesus can do that. Would you like that?

“Yes.”

“Ok, let’s pray…Dear Father, sometimes we make bad choices. I make bad choices, too. Lord, we are sorry for making our insides dirty.  Please forgive us and make us clean. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. ”

I opened my eyes and looked at his sweet face. His eyes were almost closed, and he had a little grin spread across his lips. He was no longer worried about being dirty, and fell asleep.

“Sleep with peace, little man.”