A friend asked me what I have learned from teaching my daughter about Jesus. However, I could not come up with an answer. After thinking about it for some time, I realized that I do not teach my little girl about Jesus. If I want her to know her Savior, I have learned that I have to show my child who Jesus is. I can teach blind people about colors. Yet, they will never be reminded of the hope of the promise given in the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-16). I can teach deaf people about bird songs. Yet, they will never join the chickadee's melodic "thank-yous" to glorify our Maker. In the same way, we are all blind and deaf when it comes to knowing about Jesus. Knowledge is not enough. If my daughter is going to have a relationship with Jesus, she must first meet Jesus, then get to know him and finally learn to love him.
To illustrate, I have an identical twin sister that lived in Texas. I told my daughter all about my sister. I explained what a twin was. Additionally, my little girl even saw photos and got to talk to my sister on the phone. Yet, the look on my little one's face when she saw my twin for the first time was priceless! Likewise, teaching my daughter about Jesus is not the same as introducing Jesus to my child. Just like John the Baptist exclaimed in John 1:29, "Behold! The Lamb of God!" I have the privilege to introduce my daughter to her Savior. No amount of talking about him is going to help my girl meet Jesus, who wants to be part of my daughter's daily life.
Because Jesus is a part of my daughter's daily life, she can get to know her Savior in a personal way. In John 10:14 and 16, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. Jesus said his sheep know him and listen to his voice. Granted, I can tell my child that Jesus loves her. However, if I reveal to her the ways he is loving her, my little one will come to know his love. Also, I can simply tell my daughter that Jesus talks to her, or I can show her when her Shepherd is speaking to her, and then my little girl will learn the sound of Jesus' voice.
Consequently, when my daughter has met her Savior and understands Jesus' love for her, my child can then learn how to start loving Jesus too. For example, an old adage states, "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day; show a man how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime." Similarly, I want my daughter to know her Shepherd for a lifetime. In order to do that, I must show my little girl how she can love Jesus the way he loves her. My daughter's life with Jesus is like a lifelong journey. I can not simply point on a map and say, "go there." In order to truly help my little one follow her Shepherd, I must put the map away and walk with her.
As I near the close, I would like to share with you a story. Not long ago, I struggled to teach my daughter the concept of 'trust.' I offered her many descriptions and examples. I told my little one stories about trust, hoping that would help her understand; but, she just could not grasp the concept. Finally, I decided a practical example might do the trick. We performed the Trust Fall together. From that experience, it was easier for my child to understand the nature of trust.
After all, at its core, isn't a relationship with Jesus similar to the Trust Fall? We metaphorically fall into the great arms of our Savior knowing he will catch us. As a result, I have learned that no amount of discussion will help my little girl know Jesus. I must join her as we fall into his arms together; a demonstration that I look forward to repeating every day, for as long as I can. Just as Jesus does for me.