Back Flips of Faith

“God doesn’t know everything,” seven-year-old Liam told his mom one night. “He doesn’t know how to do a back flip into a pool!”

Liam had just spent the day at Pine Cove City, a week-long day camp hosted by a local church. Each day, campers were led through a Bible study by their counselors, learning all about the “adventure of faith.” The study came with questions for parents to discuss with their children, which is how Liam’s mom, Molly, found herself chatting all about the Lord and His sovereignty (minus, apparently, the ability to do back flips).

“It was a beautiful night,” Molly remembers. “We were just talking and going through the devotional.” That’s when Liam expressed His doubt that God could perform cool tricks in the pool. However, Molly says, Liam soon switched gears.

“He paused and said, ‘Mama, I’m sinning right now. God just told me in my heart that I was.’ And he completely changed his tune and said he knew that God knew everything. This was the first time he had ever spoken directly of what God was saying to him.”

Molly and her husband Shawn work hard to bring their children up in a Christian household, continually professing the Gospel and surrounding them with godly community. And before her eyes, years of teaching, church attendance, and prayers were coming together as Molly witnessed her son discovering and articulating his faith for the first time.

“It made this mama’s heart so happy to hear that He was hearing from God!” she shares. “I spent the whole next day while he was at camp praying for God to keep speaking to him and for his salvation!”

The next day’s devotional covered Luke 23, where Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross beside Him. The goal of this study was to show campers that forgiveness is offered through a solution that only God can provide—by believing in what Jesus did on the cross. This is what saving faith is all about!

That night Liam and his parents discussed the concept of salvation, and Molly and Shawn shared their testimonies with him, explaining how they’d come to faith and what it meant to walk with Jesus. Eager now to take the next step, Liam said he wanted to do that too!

“We asked him questions to make sure he understood the decision he was making,” Molly explains, “Then we were able to lead him to the Lord! It was the best moment of our lives!”

The seeds had been planted and watered all throughout the course of Liam’s young life. Then a day camp Bible study spurred on questions and discussions that helped lead to his salvation! Molly and Shawn had already been diligently praying, leading, and laying the groundwork for Liam’s decision to enter into the Kingdom. The Lord simply used Pine Cove City as a catalyst in Liam’s journey to faith, bringing him to salvation at exactly the right moment.

At the end of the summer he was baptized by his dad, and Liam has been putting his faith into practice ever since. Molly recalls a sweet moment when she was leaving a friend a message to encourage her through a tough time. Suddenly, Liam asked his mom if he could say something. “I was like, ‘Sure!’ And he said, ‘I just want you to know that everything’s going to be okay because God is with you. Can I pray for you?’ And he just prayed for her, and it was the most precious thing—I was about to cry.”

Molly’s prayer for Liam is that he would continue to grow in his love for the Lord, learn more about who He is, and grow in depth in his relationship with the Lord. He’ll be returning to Pine Cove City this summer, and when he does, he won’t be alone—little sister Leah Caroline will be along for the ride! Molly’s prayer for Leah Caroline?

“I just want her to hear Truth, and for more seeds to be planted,” Molly says. “And when the time is right, God will reap the harvest.”

He clearly has before. And He will again. Whether or not day camp is a tool the Lord uses this time around—and whether or not back flips will be involved—is up to Him.