“London: When I go up to see Heaven I want to see temptation dead!
Eve: I want to see God alive.”

—

Yes, they said that. London spoke angrily. Eve in earnest. 

London is on an “I hate temptation” kick. She tells God almost every night that He shouldn’t let temptation into Heaven because temptation made all the bad guys bad. Then she says, “But if temptation wants to be good and all the bad guys decide to be good you can let them in.”

I think she’s starting to feel evil creeping in the corners of her heart. A few nights ago while making brownies with her dad she quite suddenly rebuked temptation. “No temptation,” she said. “I will not lick the spoon.” And lick the spoon she did not.

When I discipline her lately, especially when we talk about her heart, I can see the frustration on her wrinkled little face. She wants to do better. She wants to make good choices. “Why doesn’t God kill temptation?” she asks me.

Eve, 15 months younger, is just now making a decision about God. She has always prayed, of course, but she prefers the memorized prayers and the ones she can repeat. She sleeps with her Book of Common Prayer for children. She likes Bible stories and loves the physical Bible book, turning pages, “reading.” When I ask her to praise God, to describe Him, she says words like “big” and “mighty,” words from songs she’s memorized. 

I watch Eve’s face when London prays and it’s as if she’s wondering who in the world London’s talking to—the way London yells and laughs and talks like she’s talking to a person in the room. 

Today Eve asked me, “Mom, what’s faith?” And I said it’s about believing. I told her we have faith when we believe God and believe in God. I asked, “Do you believe in God?” She paused… “Yes.”

"Then you have faith." She smiled, proud to have faith, whatever it was.