By Anna Sklar (as posted on Living in the Moments)
I stood in front of the book table for at least an hour… searching for the “perfect” devotional books for my sons. I was torn between excitement at the MANY choices available and confusion as to which ones would be interesting to my boys. There was also some fear in my heart. Would I be ready for the questions my boys might ask? Did I have the discipline and drive to follow through with the ideas in these books? Would I be supportive as my sons learned how to live out their blossoming faith? Was I up for the challenge?
Peace finally settled over me as I realized I don’t have to be a perfect Christian to teach my children about God. As I stood there I gained more and more confidence, not in myself, but in the God who loves my children more than I ever could. Then I realized something amazing… I… can… learn… with… them.
When I had kids, my devotional time took a beating and I lost track for a while. Often times I would go for weeks, even months without doing personal devotions. But as soon as I opened my Bible or a devotional book, or stopped to REALLY pray, I knew God was there, He’d been waiting for me, He missed me, and He was glad to spend time with me. And as I started working devotions into my son’s lives, it became easier to return to my own devotions. Even if they were much shorter! There have been gaps where I’ve lost track again, but the point is not to give up and just keep coming back to it. God is waiting to meet with me and my family, and you and your family – no matter how long it’s been since we last met with Him.
I might fail—A LOT – as I try to find the best books, the best times and the right attitude for devotions in my family – for myself and my sons. The true test for me will be getting back up, brushing myself off, and trying again. All the while knowing I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to be willing.
God will be there as I read each page of the books with my sons. And if I forget or get sick or life just takes over sometimes, God will still be there when I remember, or get better, or get a handle on life again. My job is to simply keep turning the pages of the books, learn along with my children, and praying every time they ask me a question I don’t think I can answer!
To discover age-appropriate devotional resources for the children in your life visit the Faith at Home page on Anna’s Blog.
Has making time to read God’s Word become a practice in your home? Share your thoughts, frustrations, ideas, sweet moments, puzzling questions, resources, etc… Post a comment!
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July 27, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Sarah M
This was definitely a lighter read then ‘Bridging the Gap’
I like what you’ve written here. I think, and I’m not a Mother but speaking from a daughters perspective and now as an adult I have this understanding, that children are never asking for perfect parents just parents who are present and willing to learn along with their children and have parents who modal before their children the Christian faith. We’ve had a generation of parents saying “don’t do what I do but do what I say … ” but just living your faith out loud for your children to see is what will bring the fruit of real faith. And so then, where there is lack, the foundation of your faith is still taught as you’re children see and observe your faith.
The foundation of my faith to a large degree was simply through seeing my youth pastor and his wife walk out their faith in humility and with integrity. I saw and learned more just by witnessing their faith and perhaps I learned more by witnessing their faith then I ever did from the many conservations, talks, and sermons I’ve heard.