Picture Perfect...Not


What I had hoped it would look like
The scene was not as I envisioned. The picture I had conjured up was one of peace and serenity at bedtime with all the kids snuggled up in bed with me imparting words of wisdom to them, but the reality was it was more like Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed - and One Fell Off and Broke His Head. There were actually only 3 monkeys, one dog and Grumps and no trips to the doctor, but the bedtime ritual showed lots of similarities.

I had high hopes that I would be able to have teachable moments with the grandkids while we were keeping them, but it just didn't seem to happen at bedtime. However, there were other times that there were truths spoken.

Walking through the neighborhood with Griffin we talked about God as the Creator of the beautiful flowers and leaves and trees. It seemed to stick as he brought it up on his own the next time we were walking and pointed out to me the purple and green leaves and reminded me of the morning glories.

Molly's biggest lesson was about wanting her own way, so out came the Bible to show her that the whole reason was have quarrels and arguments is because we want our own way. (James 4:1)

And the school morning routine was to read Bible verses that spoke about what we wanted for them- boldness, courage, kindness, faithfulness, et cetera. Even though Will rolled his eyes the first morning, he seemed anxious to participate and see what the different letters and words would be.

So even though by idyllic picture of bedtime didn't come true, God was faithful in answering my prayer to be intentional with the children.

Teaching doesn't have to be a once a day occurrence, but throughout the day whenever the occasion arises.

Lord give me more opportunities to share You with the precious ones in my life.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi Olga,

For obvious reasons, I loved this blog entry before I even started reading :) But your words of wisdom are truly inspiring and I wanted to thank you for sharing them. It is also my goal to be intentional with my children and I have been looking for the same kinds of opportunities to teach them more about the Bible. This was a great reminder that they don't always come in perfectly wrapped packages, but in those small moments when we may least expect it.

Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope to see you very soon! Much love, Whitney
December 14, 2016 at 9:48 AM
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