How Doing Something For My Kids Surprised Me (In All The Right Ways)
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)
Last month, as school was about to start, I wrote this post on my blog: “5 Simple Ways to Connect Your Kids with the Bible as School Starts.” If you decide you want to read it, I would LOVE to hear your ideas as well.
Kari and I decided to implement #1 right away: Tape a verse smack dab in the middle of the bathroom mirror. We haven’t done it every day, but most days the kids wake up to find a Bible verse when they groggily look into the mirror.
Honestly, most days we don’t even talk about it. Some days I’ll bring it up at breakfast. I actually thought we would do that more than we do. However, even if we never talked about it, I’ve come to find value in this that surprised me.
Value #1: Since I’m trying to pick verses mostly about who God is, who they are, and how we are to serve others, I am reminded of the same truths. It has been good for me to either go to bed thinking about the verse I just put up. Or, if I forget to do it the night before, to have the first thing I do each morning be to write these truths is a terrific way to start the day.
Value #2: I am more intentional about praying for my kids. I know I should pray for them more than I do. I know it should come more naturally. It’s not that I don’t want to pray. I just forget. Life gets too noisy. This little ritual puts me in a mindset where I’m thinking about, and praying for, my kids first thing in the morning.
Give it a try. Or try something else. Maybe the bathroom mirror isn’t the best spot. Maybe you have an older kid and the steering wheel is better. Or maybe send them a Bible verse via text every day or two. Or maybe slip one inside their lunch sack. Or maybe write a verse backwards on their foreheads in permanent pen. (Did I go too far?)
The world is a noisy place. If you and I have a tendency to forget who God is and who we are, why should we think that our kids are any different?
After you try this – or something else – for a week or two, let me know how it goes. And let me know your other ideas as well. I need all the help I can get.
Alongside, Keith Keith can be reached via email here.