I don't want you to die

Its late in the evening. after dinner, but just before the push towards baths, cleaning up toys, and getting the guys in bed. i'm sitting in the recliner watching tv. the 3c's are playing around in the living room.
Caleb has been learning his letters and numbers. He's constantly saying, "we're in an 'L', Daddy" or "look! it's a 1!" Now he has a piece of paper and a pink pen - he runs up to me and says, "Look, Daddy!" there's a pink 't' on the paper, and I'm about to tell him good job - but he continues, "i drew the church!!" It took a minute, but i realized he recognized the small t as the cross on the top of our sanctuary. You could tell by his face that he had surprised himself with the revelation.
I've been praying that I would recognize the opportunities presented by the Holy Spirit to share spiritual truths of God to them. I jumped at this one. After asking Caleb if he wanted to hear the story of about the cross, I began to tell him about Jesus' sacrifice. I explained that because we all sin (lie, cheat, pee on the ottoman...) that we would have to die. BUT Jesus loved us so much that he did it for us. He didn't quite understand the whole thing, because he asked me, "Daddy, you have to die?" I said that because I sinned I would have had to. He said, "Daddy, I don't want you to die." We kept talking until he understood that because Jesus did, we wouldn't have to - if we just give our lives to Him and obey Him.
It occured to me that if I could remember that without Jesus I would have to die, Caleb would have to die - we all would have to die AND IT STILL WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH - I would probably live a much more obedient life. I'm going to try to remember Caleb's expression when he began to understand the cost of my disobedience. the cost of my sin.