Words To Live By Wednesday - Jesus, Children and Weed Pulling
What goes together like peaches and cream, strawberries and chocolate or kings and queens? Why of course, it must be Jesus, children and weed pulling! You might say that it is not an obvious combination. I will explain my logic, and maybe you'll see the beauty of the combination too.
The Bible tells us that we should always teach our children about God's word. Deuteronomy 11:19 tells us, "You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." That one verse covers the entirety of my day, from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. So, in my understanding, that means that I should weave teaching my children godly principles throughout my entire day. This would include the time that we spend doing daily chores, like weeding.
Now, I happen to be big on including my children in the daily chores. They help me with most of the chores around the house. That includes weeding. I was thinking about the weeding that needed to be worked on this morning and began dreading the chore. Then I remembered that one of the greatest moments of my parenting "career" occured while weeding the garden last year.
Last year, my two oldest boys and I were weeding one very rogue flower bed. Brother in the Middle was tired of weeding, and he began digging with a garden spade. I almost chastized him for not pulling more weeds, then I remembered that he was just four. Just as my thoughts were passing through, he opened up about his thoughts.
He asked why Jesus died on the cross. The amazing thing was, Big Brother immediately explained the plan of salvation. We sat there weeding and talking about the greatest sacrifice ever made. Through the course of the conversation, Brother in the Middle decided to accept the Lord as his Savior.
So there you have it. Jesus, children and weed pulling. Could it happen at the swing set? At bed time? In the car? Yes, yes and yes. The thing is, we never know when, so we must be ready at all times. We must be sharing with them. Next time I see a little weed, I am going to put aside the grumbling and remember that it might just be an oppurtunity!
The Bible tells us that we should always teach our children about God's word. Deuteronomy 11:19 tells us, "You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." That one verse covers the entirety of my day, from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. So, in my understanding, that means that I should weave teaching my children godly principles throughout my entire day. This would include the time that we spend doing daily chores, like weeding.
Now, I happen to be big on including my children in the daily chores. They help me with most of the chores around the house. That includes weeding. I was thinking about the weeding that needed to be worked on this morning and began dreading the chore. Then I remembered that one of the greatest moments of my parenting "career" occured while weeding the garden last year.
Last year, my two oldest boys and I were weeding one very rogue flower bed. Brother in the Middle was tired of weeding, and he began digging with a garden spade. I almost chastized him for not pulling more weeds, then I remembered that he was just four. Just as my thoughts were passing through, he opened up about his thoughts.
He asked why Jesus died on the cross. The amazing thing was, Big Brother immediately explained the plan of salvation. We sat there weeding and talking about the greatest sacrifice ever made. Through the course of the conversation, Brother in the Middle decided to accept the Lord as his Savior.
So there you have it. Jesus, children and weed pulling. Could it happen at the swing set? At bed time? In the car? Yes, yes and yes. The thing is, we never know when, so we must be ready at all times. We must be sharing with them. Next time I see a little weed, I am going to put aside the grumbling and remember that it might just be an oppurtunity!
See that little weed? I was too prideful to post this photo last
Friday because of it. Today, it seems the obvious choice!
