I generally do not leave my Bible in a place where the children have access to it. I have scribble marks all over the first few pages as a reminder of what might happen if it is left where little hands can reach it. Monday night, however, I was reading in the family room right before bed and left my Bible on the ottoman. When the children woke up Tuesday morning they noticed it immediately.
K: "What 'dis Mom-ee? Is dis yo' BI-bul?"
M: "Yes. This is what God wrote to tell us how much he loves us."
R: "Weed it to me."
As they all climbed up in my lap, what should have been a warm, fuzzy moment made me anxious. Thoughts were racing through my head. What could I read them straight from the Bible? We have 2 dozen toddler Bibles & Bible story books we read from with pictures and kid-sized words and stories. I don't want them to think the Bible is boring. Maybe I should suggest they go get one of their kid Bibles...you know, something more age-appropriate.
Then, I was really convicted. This is God's Word, passed down for generations. It can stand on its own without pictures. Why have I grown so accustomed to 'crutches?' So, I read them the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Then I read them the Christmas story. Guess what? The stories themselves kept their attention!
I have thought a lot about this for the last couple of days. Why do we count on so many things to "gussy up" God's Word and try to make it more attractive? Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful to have the other resources, but those should be a supplement--not a substitute. I want them to grow up knowing "the Word of God is living and active," not stuck in a dusty book in a closet, in need of modern day illustrators to make it more interesting.
That night, before bed, I pulled their little Bibles out of the closet that had been gifts from their grandparents upon their baptism. I have had them "tucked away for safekeeping" so long the children did not even realize they had them. They were thrilled to have their own Bibles. Instead of reading a devotion to them, I asked them to each read me a story about God. K opened her little Bible and started singing "Jee-sus wuvs me, dis I know..." and the other two joined in. When it was Parker's turn, he looked in his open (upside down) Bible and started singing, "Jee-sus wuvs da widdle chill-ren."
R: "Mommy, God come to our house?"
I explained that God was already in our house.
P: "No, Mommy, God in my heart."
R: "God in your tummy like baby R, Mommy?"
Thank you, Lord, for this lesson. I will hereby be more intentional about making the real deal Bible a part of our daily lives...and try to clarify the damage I may have done with my toddler-sized pregnancy explanation a few weeks ago...
18 comments:
So sweet. Jack has just started singing 'Jesus Loves Me' and I can't help but tear up when I hear it! When he was born we took his bible to the hospital with us and had his footprints placed inside the front cover. I cannot wait to give it to him!
:)
I agree 100% with you in that we too tend to lean on all those "crutches" to make things easier. What a sweet reminder though.
Amen and Amen. This is such a sweet story.
How sweet! I love how God uses our children to teach us so much all the time. You are doing such a great job with your kids! I always smile when I read your stories.
You would be a good writer for the Proverbs 31 daily devotionals that get emailed out. I don't know how one goes about doing that, but your experience is one that a lot of moms can relate to and think about.
My five-year-old has started crawling out of bed at night and asking me to read him the Bible. We've been curling up on the couch and reading a Bible storybook, but you're right, I should be reading him the real thing.
Amen!! I am enjoying your blog.
Amen! I love this. You are so right. And, I was convicted because I do the same thing. Thanks for the challenge!
And, I love the E.E. quote below!! Thanks for sharing!
What a very preciuos story. You are so right. Stories of our Dear Savior don't always have to be illustrated. His word stands on it"s own!! Thank you for sharing your family's stories
I think this is my first comment on your blog though I read you quite often. I just had to say how sweet is was to picture all three of your precious children piled on your lap reading their real Bibles and loving His stories. It made me think of my white Bible that I saw in our home from time to time throughout my growing up, but only found out what it actually was in college. That's my favorite Bible now. Also, the children's singing made me think of something we do that you might enjoy with them. We sing "Jesus Loves The Little Children" with verses made up especially to rhyme THEIR names. "Seth and Morgan and Levi, they are precious in His sight...." (Ours was easy, but any way to insert their names is fun.) Anyway, sweet story. Thank you.
I linked here for the first time from BooMama's blog. What you wrote today was really sweet and what an eye-opener! I, too, have been hiding their little Bibles (and mine too) b/c I was afraid that they would get messed up, scribbled in, ripped, etc. I am going to follow your example and start reading to them from THE Bible so they can learn to appreciate it. Thanks for a sweet story!
Precious and Priceless. You are right, so many things are crutches. It's funny that the boys have started associating many things about Ivey with God and Jesus. Maybe I should take your lead and find those places in the Bible that read about the aflicted and the blind. They really can see God at work in their own home. This is a great idea. I think I will pull out the their treasured stiff tiny bibles and break them in....
Love it! Amen!
Great Post! I might have to get the little Bibles out that we have too!
I was just telling a friend the other day that I spend more time reading about the Bible than I do reading the Bible. I have a stack of books that I have been wanting to read, yet my Bible often sits by itself just waiting for me to pick it up and read it.
I wonder why I turn towards the supplements instead of the real deal??
Your blog always encourages me. Thank you and keep on blogging!!!
I love this! You are so right. I, too, guarded all the bibles so they wouldn't get messed up because I didn't think they would be interesting enough to my children anyway at such a young age.
Then, I was so convicted and allowed them to 'read' them. My youngest (18 months) carries hers EVERYWHERE and even sleeps with it. She loves it so much. I often think how could she when there are no pictures? My husband always says, "It's God's Word...a child just knows." There's power in the Word.
i randomly happened upon your blog through a friends. what a wonderful little testament to the power of God's word. and, judging by their bible readings to you, they understand the word better than most adults!
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