Becoming a Family of Devotion

Yesterday during the church service, all the parents of children in grade 2 were shuffled into the chapel instead of to Sonshine Kids and service. Don't worry, they were not trying to eliminate us, but it was a special day for parents to spend time with their grade 2'ers. It is part of a program that our church offers through Children's Ministry called "Faith at Home". There are sessions for children from 3 years to high school age and is a way to foster living our faith outside the doors of the church.


Earlier in the year, I attended a session with Cassie (who was 3 at the time) on "Becoming a Family of Prayer" where we discussed what is safe to share with our 3 year old with regards to prayer requests and what is not safe. We then created a wooden stand that holds recipe cards on it. On the cards we were asked to put pictures of people that we want to remember to pray for. Our 3 year old could use this to remind themselves who and what they need to pray for.


Anyways, yesterday was the session for grade 2 students and was entitled "Becoming a Family of Devotion." This is something that my family has never really ever tried to do in earnest. I have my devotional time, but I have never invited my children to join me. I don't know why I never thought to invite them, but I can think of a few reasons/excuses that I could come up with to avoid it.

1. Their constant interruptions will drive me nuts and I will probably give up trying to even have a devotional time.
2. Will my children be able to understand what I am saying to them during devotional time. (I would like to avoid using a children's bible if at all possible).
3. What can we do as a family to help my children remember the lessons and bible verses that they learn during devotional times.

What a wonderful thing that happened to us yesterday... it was a session all about how to get our children involved in doing devotions and how they can remember the lessons and verses that they hear.

The session was facilitated by Nicole and Charles Nowochin and the focus was on Growing Godly Culture through Family Devotions. The children were asked to draw or write what his/her family does on a daily basis and the parents were asked to do the same on a separate piece of paper. We then discussed as a group what we had put on the list and I noticed that I had not put down "doing devotions". How could I have missed putting that down? But when I thought about it, I had been writing down things that we do as a family and devotions is not one of the things that we were currently doing.

Nicole and her husband introduced us to a really neat binder next. In it were devotional ideas based upon The Fruits of the Spirit. Each month was focused on a different Fruit of the Spirit. The information that they gathered for us to use was from the Kids of Integrity Website by Focus on the Family (http://www.kidsofintegrity.com/). I wholeheartedly suggest that you take the time to visit this website. It is full of wonderful information on doing devotions with your children.

Next came what I can only explain as a God Moment. We were asked to flip to March in our binder and the topic that came up was something that our family struggles with on a daily, minute-by-minute basis: PATIENCE!

I felt like I had been hit literally by a lightning bolt. This is the one thing that I feel has predominantly kept me from being the type of mom that I have always dreamed of being... a Proverbs 31 Mom!

This binder that we were given is wonderful... each month starts out with a chart that needs to be filled out with ways that we will focus on learning about Patience (or whatever the Fruit of the Spirit is for that particular month).

The rest of the month is divided up as follows:

1. Character to Cultivate - a description of the Character Trait that will be worked on during the month.
2. Problem Behavior - a list of behaviors that show that this particular Fruit of the Spirit needs to be worked on
3. Parents' Prayer - A sample prayer for parents to use as they work on the particular topic
4. Scripture for Parents - scripture verses to help parents focus on the task for the month
5. Kids Talk With God - A sample prayer for children to say during their quiet times with God.
6. Family Challenge - This section gives parents ideas for how to affirm their children's growth in the area that is being practiced.
7. Memory Verse - a passage or verse of scripture that everyone in the family can memorize to help them to remember the lesson for the month.
8. Kids' Corner - this section contains fun, simple crafts and activities that demonstrate the virtue being learned.
9. Bible Stories - stories that demonstrate the fruit of the spirit in action in the bible.
10. Creative Discipline - This contains the Biblical basis for the suggested discipline, the suggested disciplinary action detailed and affirmation (reminding the child in a kind and loving way, what virtue they are working on).
11. Object Lessons - a project that helps children work on developing the particular virtue that is being worked on. For example, in March the family is asked to work on a challenging puzzle and we are asked to be patient as we work on it.

I am looking so forward to beginning the journey of doing devotions with my children. Here's hoping God will give me the patience to get through this and not lose my mind.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2