Time With God
February 8, 2008 by Mandy
Time With God
Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [Deuteronomy 6:6-7]
One unschooling perception I dislike? Some unschooling parents feel you should never schedule time to teach your children.
I disagree.
For the most part, we don’t have a particular curriculum to follow or a schedule by which we accomplish or complete things. However, there is one thing that we do plan, and that is time with God. I feel this is an important thing to teach your children so, when they get older they already have these habits in place.
Over the last few months, I have started a new tradition of setting aside time in the morning to talk about Jesus. Through the course of the day, we talk about God in different ways. Currently, the children are interested in what God made and why he made it.
My daughter and son love to stare at the moon just before darkness falls when you can see all the colors of the sky as the sun sets. She wonders why the shape of the moon changes day to day. Their curiosity in all things God-made have led us into wonderful conversations about God’s blessings and the tools and materials He has created for us to use.
Before meals, we take turns saying grace. My three-year-old’s prayer often goes something like this:
God. Thank you for dis food. Thank you for dis food. Thank you fooooor….. Mommy and Daddy. Help us to being have (behave). Thank you for dis food. Thank you for my shoes. Thank you for my spoon. Amen.
My nearly-five-year-old daughter gracefully closes her eyes, bows her head, and grasps the hands of her neighbors. “God. Thank you for this chicken with garlic and rice. Thank you for Nana and Poppa. Help me to feel better because I hurt my finger today. Thank you for my baby doll, and thank you for Jesus. Amen.”
Everyone loves to say a prayer before we eat, so our food is usually thoroughly blessed before we partake. I’m glad they love to pray. It warms my heart!
In the evening, before bed, I cozy up to my munchkins on the couch and have a prayer time with them. I’m usually interrupted several times, but that’s okay. My middle child often mumbles his own little prayer while I talk.
As we tuck the children in bed, we tell them, “Don’t forget to pray.” We kiss them goodnight, then stand outside their doors and listen to their sweet little voices as they whisper prayers heavenward. I love to listen to them. Sometimes they pray for the sweetest things, and often they have a couple crazy requests.
I wonder if that’s how God feels when I pray. I wonder if His heart is warmed when I pray for something He desires, or if He is amused when I ask for something silly and ridiculous. I can imagine Him thinking to Himself, “Daughter, if you only knew the plans I have for you.”
God has shown me how important it is to set aside time for Him. He has asked me to show my children how to do the same, to build these habits so, when they are grown, they will not part from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart
from it. [Proverbs 22:6]
We have a wonderful opportunity as home schooling parents to open God’s world to our children. In those moments, we can show them that God is in the little things, the big things, and all around us. We can point out His glory in the small blossoms or large oak trees. We can show them God’s grace as we show (by example) how to properly deal with emotions, forgive others, and reach out in love. And, while there are so many pop-up situations in which we can reveal a little of God, there are also those times we should purposefully set aside to listen to and learn about God.
In closing, I want to encourage you to set aside time with your children for the LORD. No matter what method of home schooling you choose, this is one thing that should be first and foremost!
Mandy is a former homeschooler student who has set out to unschool her three young munchkins. In her column “Adventures in Unschooling”, she gives a glimpse into the curious minds of her children as they follow their natural instincts to explore the heights and depths of knowledge. She blogs at MandyMOM.com.
Related posts:
- Where the Lord Guides, He Provides Lately, the Lord has really been nudging me, reminding me, and pricking my soul....
- Review: Teach your children to pray Teach Your Children to Pray by Denise George is an encouraging inspirational book that provides...
- Prayer Request for Baby Joe Kendra (Preschoolers and Peace) and her husband Fletcher, two wonderful people, are in need...
- Serious Quiet Time Are you in need of a serious quiet time? Time to reflect and ponder, time...
Comments
Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!