I've Got the Holy Holy Spirit

You just never know with a 4, nearly 5 year old. Especially when your kid is incredibly precocious. But, Nappy, as of late, has had an intense interest in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. A lot of people would say she's too young to really understand things, but I know that she's already experienced more trauma, loss and gain in her short 5 years on earth than most people experience in the first 20. Plus she's seen God's work in her life in very direct and vibrant ways. I believe she is falling in love with Jesus in a very real way. He not only made her part of his eternal family, but He gave her a family on earth and she understands that.

This interest has since flourished, and several days ago, she asked me about the Holy Spirit. I explained as best as I could who He is and how He works. Well, she was all about a super-spirit that could fill you with wisdom and courage and give you direct access to the voice of God! She asked, actually demanded, that we pray and ask Jesus into her heart and the Holy Spirit to live in her too.

So that we did.

Then when she was done, she smiled at me and said, "Mom, I GOT the HOLY SPIRIT! I'm gonna live FOREVER!"

I told her that was true, but to remember that her body would die, just not her soul, and the part of her that lived in her body, the part of her who was really and truly Nappy, that part would go to heaven, and in heaven, God would give her a new body.

"Yep!" She said, "The Holy Spirit and Jesus will give me a new body because I won't ever die!"

The next morning she came down to breakfast literally beaming with the Holy Spirit. It was quite a refreshing and beautiful sight. She is definitely in love. She even wrote a song:



That afternoon, we went to her regular physical therapy appointment. She'll be transitioning to a new PT soon, and that PT came to her session to meet her. While I was talking with her old PT, Nappy rolled up to her new PT and assumed what can be described as nothing less than asouthern pentecostal preacher mode. She even developed a southern accent! A Southern accent with the typical "--mba" that preachers like to throw on when their really worked up. I was worried she might start pulling snakes out of her pockets. It was that intense.

"I've GOT the HOOOOOLY SPIRIT! And YOU(-mba) can(-mba) have it too! He'll FILLLLL you up! And you can LIIIIIVVVE Forever! All -- YOU--- HAVE--- TO ---- DO--- is PRAY AND ASK (-mba)!"

This lady, who doesn't know us from Adam, just looked at my beaming daughter and then at me and then at my daughter.

I could read her mind, "uhhh...note... nut cases...."

However, my mind was reeling! Where did this come from? Not the message but the delivery! Did Jimmy Swaggart have some of his indiscretions in southern Ukraine? Are there Ukrainian equivalents to the snake handling preachers in the US? How could a little girl with genetic stock from Ukraine and in a family that never listens to that type of preaching ever have come up with this?

It was love. Her personality when it's in love. Heaven help us when she's a teenager.

But, the story gets better. The next day, I was discussing with the kids the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot and other missionaries that were martyred. I asked the kids what they thought they'd do if God ever called them to that. They were all discussing their answers when Nappy cut in.

"Well, I don't ever have to worry about that because I've GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT! I can't die!"

"Uh...Nappy..." I told her, "You can die."

"Nope, I can't." She replied, "When you have the Holy Spirit you can't die because he lives in you. So, na -na-na-na-na-na I've got the Holy Spirit and I can't die."

"Yes you can." I replied and explained it all again.

"Hmm.." she replied, appearing to be devasted over the news (wait till she finds out that she'll also have to pay taxes!), "Well, I'll keep the Holy Spirit anyway, because it's still a pretty good deal!"