Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
If you were to ask my husband and children about me lately...they'd tell you I've been slightly obsessed with certain CD's. Recently, the group that has frequented our CD players the most is PFR. I was a HUGE fan in my college days and have found that those old CD's are still pretty much the bomb.
The other day we popped in "Goldie's Last Day" during a van trip across town. The kids actually begged for it, so either my good taste is rubbing off or they're really cool kids. If you haven't heard the song, then you need to get yourself over to youtube and take a listen: Goldie's Last Day
I "facebooked" Joel Hanson my kid's comments about the song. (**he "liked" my comment. sigh. facebook can be so fun sometimes)
JuBe was full of questions as she hummed along: "Did he REALLY have a dog named Goldie? Was it a boy or girl? How did Goldie die? Is this song funny or not?"
Peebs was the skeptic: "Why would you want to SING about that?" and "Ewww. The dog LICKED him?"
Odes...the philosopher: Goldie's dead mom. Dead. Will I have a last day some day? Will all of us have a last day? I guess I want to have a last day. Then I'll get to see where I'm going to go. You know...heaven or hell.
My response was internal: I wonder if the PFR guys ever anticipated as they recorded this song, that a four year old boy was going to get schooled in the gospel as a result.
The verses from Deuteronomy flashed up in my brain after I heard Odes ask his simple child-like questions and as he pondered life, death, and all that God has for us.
There are SO many instances like this as we go through our days...when God gives us these little "divine appointments" with our children. Opportunities where we have a choice! We can chuckle and write them down in a baby book. We can feel frustrated and try to push the questions away so we can get back to our own thoughts. Or we can do the "Sh'ma...Deuteronomy 6:4-9. One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling is that I get to be there when these little thoughts crop up all day long. And as we are sitting at home, walking (or in this case driving) down the road, at bed time, in the morning, all day long I get to be there to lovingly take these sweet buds of thought or deep questions of the universe and I can help to shape their hearts and minds and remind them that "The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
After Odes said the above, I turned off the music and began to ask him questions. Questions that reveal the heart. We talked about the reality of an after life. We talked about sin and the amazing grace that Jesus bestowed on us when he bore our sin and stood in our place to take on God's wrath against our depravity. And yes! I use big "theological" words like that with a 4 year old. Sometimes he gets it, sometimes he doesn't!
You know what he said though? "Well, I sure want Jesus to pay for my sins!
I don't want to pay for them myself!"
He shared his assurance of where he would go on the day when it came from him to stand face-to-face with Jesus. We've had variations on this conversation a hundred times. He wants to follow Jesus. Sometimes he gets confused and thinks HE needs to do something to be in right standing with God. Sometimes, something "clicks" and he realizes that it's all based on Jesus.
What is the last "divine appointment" you've had with one of your kiddos? How are you impressing God's commandments on your children's hearts?
One of my favorite ways to "schedule" this into our day is at breakfast. I will try and share something that God is teaching me either from His word or through the encouragement of another person. David is going through the scriptures with the kids each night as they follow the book: Long Story Short. (This is a really great devotional for kids of all ages. I find myself being challenged at times. And there are many sweet times when David and I are able to share applicable stories of God's faithfulness in our lives in the past and present as we go through the scriptures with our children.)
We still go through Our 24 Family Ways (I do this with the kids in the mornings and we all do the "memory" of each way and verse, together as a family). I met with each kid this week one-on-one, to pick out verses that we're going to focus on in how they want to grow in Christ over the next year. I really love the spontaneous moments with my kids that catch me by surprise the best though. Go ahead and share some of yours below!!!
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