Caleb accepted Jesus as his Savior on January 29, 2008. We didn’t announce it at church because Kevin and I didn’t think Caleb was ready to be baptized. We knew he didn’t understand what baptism is about. Kevin didn’t want to say anything until Caleb was actually baptized. I disagreed with putting off the announcement, but I submitted to Kevin. We did tell some close friends and family members, but I really wanted to tell everyone.
I have been thinking about it more lately, and I really want to share Caleb’s salvation experience (with Kevin’s permission) because many of my friends have children who are reaching the age when they can understand the gospel, and I thought this might be helpful. And I just think it is a really neat salvation story! 
Regular text is straight from my journal. Italicized text is not from my journal.
August 28, 2006 (age 3 1/2)
Caleb and I drove by a cemetery every time we went to church. He asked me what it was and what the grave stones were for. I told him honestly (but gently) that people were buried there when they died.
Caleb and I had a long conversation about where people go when they die. Caleb is very curious about the subject and wanted reassurance that Mommy and Daddy will be in heaven with him when he dies. I told Caleb if he loves Jesus and accepts Him as Savior (admits he is a sinner) he will be with Jesus in heaven when he dies.
June 2007 (age 4)
Caleb: “It’s hard to be like Jesus.”
Mom: “Yes, because he is perfect, and we are not perfect.”
Caleb: “I’m not perfect. Mom, have I done anything bad today?”
July 3, 2007 (age 4)
Ever since Caleb went to VBS, he has been more aware of sin in his life, and he has been trying harder to obey. He seems to understand that when he disobeys he is sinning, and he seems to be more sorrowful about his sin.
Out of the blue today, Caleb said, “What happens to people when they die?”
Mom: “If you’re a Christian, you go to heaven.”
Caleb: “Do you know any Christians?” (!!!!) 
Mom: “Mommy, Daddy, Gramma V, Papa V, Grandma H, Papa H. I can tell you how to be a Christian if you want to know.”
Caleb: “Yes, I want to be a Christian!”
Mom: “First, you have to admit that you are a sinner.”
Caleb: “God, I’m a sinner.”
Mom: “Next, you have to believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that he died on the cross for your sins.”
Caleb: “I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins.”
At this point I tried to give a little more detail about sin and believing in Jesus because Caleb just seemed to be repeating after me. He wasn’t showing total understanding of what I was saying.
I tried to explain how you need to confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and I could see that he really didn’t understand that concept.
Caleb started jumping around on the air mattress and the bean bag! He had totally lost interest in the conversation. I told him he might understand better when he gets a little bigger.
I then told Caleb we should talk to Daddy when he gets home. Kevin was going to take Caleb and Chelsea out to dinner, and as soon as Kevin and Caleb got into the car, Caleb said, “Daddy, I want to be a Christian!”
The three of us talked about it a little more when we did our bedtime devotions, but I still don’t think he is quite ready. I’m so encouraged that he is thinking about spiritual things, and he is close to being saved! Praise God!
August 6, 2007 (age 4 1/2)
Kevin was going over the gospel bead bracelet with Caleb. Caleb knew what all the colors represented except for white. When we told him what white was he said, “I have dark inside of me.”
Kevin said, “We all sin.”
Caleb said, “But you are white inside.”
I said, “Yes because Daddy has accepted Christ, he is forgiven and cleansed.”
Wow, Caleb really understands that profound truth!!! He knows he is sinful, and he hasn’t been cleansed yet. He is close to understanding the gospel and being saved.
January 29, 2008 (six days before Caleb’s 5th birthday)
Wonderful glorious day! Caleb became a Christian today! Two days ago (Jan. 27) Caleb asked me (out of the blue) how people get to heaven. I told him how everyone has a spirit inside of them, and when you die your spirit goes to heaven (if you’re a Christian) and your body stays on earth.
I explained to him we can’t see our spirits right now, but Jesus can see them, and our spirit is who we are as people (personality, mind, will, emotions, etc.). I explained the gospel to Caleb again and told him we could talk to Daddy about it that evening during family devotions. I didn’t ask him if he wanted to accept Jesus into his heart, but I did ask him if he wanted to become a Christian, and he said yes.
Later that night I brought up the conversation during family devotions, but Caleb didn’t want to talk about it! It was kind of weird, but he was acting shy about it. So we just told Kevin about our conversation.
After Caleb went to bed, I read up on the info that Kevin printed out from the Internet (see my post called “Leading Your Child to Christ“). I felt the Lord telling me that I should be ready because Caleb was very close to being saved.
The next day (Monday) we had a very busy day, but I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me that I should bring up the conversation with Caleb. I was so busy getting the house ready for dinner guests (on Tuesday) that I really wanted to put off talking to Caleb. Well, the Lord really convicted me and rebuked me for wanting to put off sharing the gospel with someone. We should never put it off because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. So I told God that I would really try to talk to Caleb on Tuesday.
When Tuesday came I was very busy getting ready for our dinner guests, but I still felt the Lord prompting me to talk to Caleb about salvation. I even felt the Lord telling me to use the “Romans Road” presentation of the gospel. I was going to put off the conversation, but once again I submitted to God and told him I would talk to Caleb when Chelsea took a nap.
After I put Chelsea down for her nap, I walked into Caleb’s room, and I was going to ask him to come downstairs so we could talk. But before I even got the words out, Caleb said, “What is going to happen to me since I have these black spots in my heart?” (Wow, is that God or what!?!)
Mom: “Do you mean the sin in your heart?”
Caleb: “Yes, what happens if you have sin in your heart? Does that mean you don’t die?”
Mom: “If you have sin in your heart, when you die, you don’t get to be with God in heaven.”
Caleb: “Where do you go?”
Mom: “You go to hell.”
Caleb: “What is it like there?”
Mom: “It is dark and very hot because there is a lot of fire.”
Caleb: “Who is there?”
Mom: “Satan and other people who aren’t Christians.”
Caleb: “What do you do in hell?”
Mom: “There is a lot of crying and pain because it is very hot and because God is not there.”
Caleb: “What is heaven like?”
Mom: “Heaven is a beautiful place where everyone is happy because God is there.”
Caleb: “I don’t want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven.”
Mom: “Would you like me to tell you how you can become a Christian so that you can go to heaven?”
Caleb: “Yes. I want to be a Christian.”
I shared the gospel with Caleb. I didn’t get my Bible, and I greatly regret that. I should have opened it to Romans and shared the Romans Road scriptures, but instead I just tried to remember everything I had read about sharing the gospel with children.
We talked about sin: what it is and why we sin (because Adam and Eve sinned). We talked about how Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and take the punishment for our sins so that we would not have to pay the penalty for sin (separation from God). We talked about how salvation is a gift from God, and you can’t earn it. You have to reach out and accept or receive the gift of salvation.
Caleb showed an understanding of sin, and he admitted he was a sinner. He showed an understanding of Christ dying on the cross for his sins. He didn’t quite understand the facts about Jesus “taking his place” on the cross and taking his punishment, but he did show an understanding of Christ being the only one who can take away his sin, and dying on the cross accomplished that.
I didn’t talk about confessing that Jesus is Lord and Savior of his life. I’m not sure why I didn’t talk about it. Then I explained that he needed to pray and ask Jesus to save him. Caleb was hesitant to pray, so I said he could repeat after me.
I prayed a simple prayer: “Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe you died on the cross to save me from the penalty of my sin. Please come into my life and clean my heart. I accept your gift of salvation.”
After we prayed, Caleb didn’t say anything. He didn’t seem happy. He seemed unsure of what to do next. He didn’t seem confused. It just seemed like he was thinking, “Okay, now what do I do?” We just went downstairs, and it was business as usual.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if he was really saved at that moment. I wasn’t sure that I had presented the gospel clearly enough. I wasn’t sure if he understood all the concepts, although I knew that he had a strong desire to become a Christian, and he understood the basic concepts. But, I wasn’t worried. I just felt like if he wasn’t really saved, he was much closer to that step and he would soon be saved.
Later that evening, my doubts changed. When Kevin came home, one of the first things Caleb said when Kevin came in the door was, “Mommy, did you tell Daddy what I did today!?!” I honestly did not know what Caleb was talking about. I wasn’t even planning on telling Kevin Caleb was saved. I was just going to tell Kevin that we talked about salvation and he possibly was saved. But Caleb spoke right up and said, “Don’t you remember what we talked about upstairs?”
I said, “Oh yes! Caleb and I talked about salvation, and he prayed to receive Christ into his heart!”
Caleb said, “Yes, I am a Christian now.”
Kevin proceeded to ask Caleb some questions to see if he really understood the decision he made. The questions were a little complex, but Caleb answered all the basic questions correctly. Some of the deeper questions were challenging, and he didn’t know the answers, but I still believed he really was a Christian.
Kevin and I talked at length that night, and we concluded that we should talk to Pastor David and get the book from him that they give to children who are new Christians. It is a workbook to go through together. Kevin was not completely convinced that Caleb understood enough to be saved, but I really believed Caleb was saved.
Just the fact that Caleb wanted to tell Kevin that he was a Christian was enough confirmation for me. I figured if Caleb didn’t understand our conversation, why would he think he was a Christian and want to tell someone? I don’t think I put any false notions in his head because after he prayed the sinner’s prayer, I didn’t even tell him he was a Christian! I just let it be what it was, and we went on with our day.
The next day I didn’t talk to Caleb about his decision, but I did go and talk to Pastor David. I told him about my conversation with Caleb and about some of our past conversations. David said he believes that salvation is a process with very young children. They are not going to understand everything at once. He said even adults don’t understand all the concepts of salvation when they are saved. David gave me the workbook called, “I’m a Christian Now!” It is a six-week workbook to do together as a family. David told us to go at our own pace.
When Caleb came home from preschool (Wednesday), I told him about the workbook, and he said he was looking forward to doing it. We didn’t have any other conversations about salvation that day.
On Thursday, my parents came to visit and stay with us for a week to celebrate Caleb’s 5th birthday. As soon as my parents came in the house my mom went into the playroom with Caleb, and he said, “I’m a Christian now!” I was in the kitchen when he said it.
At lunch, we were all at the table, and I was getting ready to pray when Caleb said, “Can I pray?” I was surprised because up until that moment he had never wanted to pray before a meal, even when I asked him to pray. In the past, he didn’t want to pray any other time of the day except for at night. And he had just started saying his own prayers at night a few weeks before.
I told him he could pray, and this was his prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the beautiful day today. Thank you for our many, many blessings. Thank you for giving me a good day at school, and thank you for our many, many blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” I was so proud of him! When he prayed that prayer I really believed he was truly saved. There was such a change in his heart that he really wanted to pray.
The next day Caleb wanted to pray again at lunch time, and this is what he prayed: “Dear Jesus, thank you for this beautiful day, for the sun shining through the clouds. Thank you for all the people we know in our neighborhood. Thank you for our food, and bless it to our bodies. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”
There have been other evidences of Caleb’s conversion since last year. He very often shows concern for other people’s salvation and their position with the Lord.
I am completely overjoyed that God allowed me to lead Caleb to Christ. It is a blessing that God has entrusted this child to my care, but to also have a part in his salvation is a double blessing–more than I could ask or imagine!
