Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you.
Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children.
Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street;
talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.
Deuteronomy11:18-19 {The Message}
Hunter was with me in the church bookstore last Wednesday night, when she fell in love with a bible and begged asked to have it. As you can see in the photo I gave in bought it for her. But seriously, can you really turn your child down when they’re asking for a bible?
Anyway.
She proceeded to walk around church for the next 20 minutes “reading” her new bible. And when she so-very-excitedly told me she “found the red words!” my heart went to mush. I asked if she knew what the red words were and she replied “they’re God’s words.” The red words in the bible are indeed the words that Jesus spoke while on earth. Be-still-my-heart.
Sometimes I so worry that I’m not sharing enough, I’m not being intentional enough, we’re not in scripture enough, we’re not doing devotions enough, I’m not teaching enough. Do you ever feel the same?
And then they surprise you with something you had no idea they understood … “the red words.”
Recently, we had a long drive in the car and the girls brought Apples to Apples {bible edition} along. The girls would get to bigger words “prodigal, martyr, obedience” and they’d ask me questions about them. We talked about the Red Sea, Passover and the story of the Prodigal Son … I was amazed as I would start to tell the story or meaning, they’d excitedly take over and finish the story.
All this to say, if we can stay steadfast in our teachings and talkings and bringing them to church … these words, stories and their meanings will grow deep into the hearts of our children. And then into their children’s children …
And that my friends, is a gift worth unwrapping!
This post is linked up with Emily at Chatting at the Sky
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just wonderful! you are an amazing teacher momma!!!
what you instill in them without knowing what they are truly taking in ….. and to watch/hear it unfold has to be so special. your girls have been blessed with an incredible mother.
Thank you for the encouraging post. As moms, we can so beat ourselves up, but we need to really take in those positives when they come. :)
Oh, I so heartily agree with you! What great things you teach your children when you teach them to value and highly esteem God’s Word! You are being faithful to do the right things, and yes it IS hard…but with those words in their hearts, even when your aren’t there, they will have guidance and truth and comfort! It is hard, but keep up being diligent!
Suzanne
oh my goodness! oh my goodness! oh my goodness!
simply beautiful. oh and i just about cried when i re-read that scripture verse after reading your post. you’re doing a phenomenal job. and YES. i feel that same way all. the. time.
our blissful epiphanies came about this weekend though, while mini-me and i were listening to our church’s general conference. there were a few things speakers covered that her reactions surprised and totally tickled my heart over. made me feel so good to see her “get-it” ya know? granted the timing & a-has came thanks to the Holy Spirit, but it was good to hear her repeat words i’d said before….or to say, i get what you mean now mom. couldn’t say it any better than you did: be-still-my-heart.
(i need to get that A2A game, btw. we have the other, but we’d play the bible version a whole lot more!)
lub ya!
I loved reading this. It just does to show what intentional parenting can accomplish. In the short time I was visiting I learned from you so just imagine how much your girls are getting in their day-to-day lives with you. They are definitely blessed to have you as their mama!
That was supposed to say “goes to show”…
What a beautiful moments!! I can see why your heart went to complete MUSH!!!!
Yes, she would have so had me at “can I…”
i have been thinking about this quite a bit lately which in turn leads me to working on it. so “crazy” how when something needs to change within my family, i somehow see it everywhere. thanks for another needed reminder!
My heart smiled at this…I keep planting the seed with my itty bitty – she’s only 3, but you’re proof that they’re never too young. Kudos to you Tracie and thanks for this post :)
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