Photo Courtesy of: Liana Mikah
"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
~Deuteronomy 6:6-7
As moms, it’s easy for us to be so busy and hurried that we just rush from one task to the next, never truly stopping to make the most of the little teaching moments that naturally pop up along the way when we actually take the time to pay attention to them. This has been a big struggle of mine since becoming a mom 8 years ago. But it’s what I see emphasized in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - a practice of applying truth to everyday life, a habit of talking about the things of God during everyday situations.
That’s what I finally ended up starting to be more intentional to do about 4 years ago.
My then-four year old daughter Anna and I were cooking together one day when I told her that the casserole we were making was looking really yummy, thanks to her.
Anna: “No, mama, thanks to God.” *cue heart melt!*
That’s when I thought of turning the conversation towards a topic we had never really talked about before to see what she would have to say about it.
Me: “Anna, did you know there are people in the world who don’t have food?”
A: “Oh no!” (accompanied by a sad face)
Me: “What do you think we should do?”
A: “Give them some of our food to share! Mama, we should go see some people and give them some food!”
To say that I rushed over to where she was standing across the kitchen from me and praised her up one side and down another would be an understatement! I was so proud of her and her precious, caring heart in that moment. And it reminded me in that moment: at 4, she already had a huge heart for others, was kind and sweet, sensitive and caring. I didn’t want that to go away as she gets older because I didn’t take the intentional time now to encourage that in her, to help her cultivate and foster more and more of that love for others as she grows.
Mamas, let that be an encouragement to you today. You don’t have to spend long hours reading children’s Bibles and going through catechisms (as great as those things are!). Sometimes all it takes to drive home a point about the Lord and His heart for others (and to have the Lord do the same thing for us out of the mouths of babes!) is to take the time to have a casual conversation with your little one over a rapidly-filling casserole dish. Those conversations can be life-changing.
Reflection Questions:
1) When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation about the Lord and His ways over a seemingly insignificant task?
2) How can you take advantage of more teaching moments with your children?
3) What is the Lord teaching you in this season that you could share with them?
This is so good Rebekah! When my kids were younger I always prayed for teachable moments and the ability to recognize them. I definitely wasn’t always great at it, but always prayed about it.
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