it's time to celebrate (old blog repost)

Just in case you missed my "status" update, last night, my 5 year old daughter Mackenzie accepted the gift of eternal life! She was praying along and then just out of the blue, she said something to this effect..."Jesus, I know that I'm not good enough by myself to get to Heaven, because I sin and sin can't come into Heaven. I believe that you died for my sin but you didn't stay dead, you came back to life so that I could live forever.Would you please forgive me for the bad things I have done and make my heart all clean? I want to be with you forever and tell people about you".
I was blown away by her approach and how bold she was as she prayed. Over the past few months, she's been talking about salvation a lot, but knowing how easily kids can be "talked" into "asking Jesus into their heart" without having a real understanding of the true sacrifice that Christ made for us and the gift of grace, I didn't push it. I just kept praying for her and letting her know that if she ever wanted to talk about it or had questions, that Michael and I would help her with them. From the time she was about 3 and she asked about where people went if they didn't "love Jesus" when they died. I was honest and let her know that no matter how good the person is, if they didn't accept the free gift of grace, they would go to hell. She of course, she then proceeded to tell a few people fairly bluntly "If you don't love Jesus, you've gotta go to hell". Out of the mouths of babes...she didn't care who she could offend.
The past 7-8 months or so, she's been thanking Him for dying on the cross for her sins and for the rest of the world, and praying for people she knows that haven't accepted Christ or are sick. Such sweet prayers they are, if you could only hear them! She prays for her kindergarten teacher to sleep good and have a good day teaching, for her friends and even her Papa and Nana's salvation.
I always thought that the day she was physically born was amazing, but it's so much more awesome knowing that she has made the ultimate choice in life, to follow our Saviour! She didn't waste any time either, she was telling friends at school about getting saved and get this... when I picked her up, she said "Mom, there was a 1st grader I was talking to and I asked her if she knows the Lord and then I told her my AWANA verses (John 3:16 and 1 John 4:14) so that she would know about Jesus too!" The fact that she is stepping out already and sharing her faith is so encouraging! I'm gonna head to bed now. Listening to the debate made my brain tired :)