One of the most significant memories I have from my
childhood, is being tucked in by my mother every night and hearing her repeat
“my blessing." As time went by, I would begin to fill in the words for her, and
together we would repeat the words that have been echoed for centuries by generations
and generations:
Along with that, we would recite Psalm 4:8:
Of course I wouldn’t realize the treasures my parents were
sowing in me until much later.
As we are meditating on the passage in Deuteronomy this
month, I have been reminded of the practical ways I have seen God’s Word come
to life around me and become those flourishing promises that give me hope and
strength when the going gets tough. And mothers, don’t underestimate the bits
and pieces you might be able to share with your kids, because my life is proof that
those seeds will sprout in the right moments. Just recently, I was in a
situation where I was fearful and felt unsafe in my house. And what came back
to me, challenging my faith to flourish was that Psalm we recited together so
many times. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me
dwell in safety.” Funny how hundreds of times before I had repeated
that very same passage, but the night I had my house keys stolen along with
papers that had my name and address on them and a large amount of money, the
Holy Spirit prompted me to say that verse out loud. It was a struggle. Fear,
restlessness, preoccupations and grief fought in my spirit, as I knew I should
grab onto that rock solid truth. It was no longer a game: it became a foothold
and a ray of light that I know has helped me flourish in a difficult time.
And with this, I value more and more the “games” and simple
ways my family has sown truth into my heart.
Today I want to share with you one of these instances that I
have seen God’s word transmitted to me, and it is a practical way to etch His
promises into our hearts and the little ones that surround us. Use the alphabet.
I know we could do this with plenty of other things also,
like perhaps the attributes of God with each letter of the alphabet or songs or
hymns…before you know it, you’ll have started a worship service!
But for today, try it with verses. See how far you can go reciting a full verse starting with
each initial. Sounds easy, but hear me out. The point is
not only to challenge ourselves to actually know the verse, but also to remind
us what it is saying. This is a
practical way that I have used to discern if I am repeating verses like a
parrot or if I’ve actually learned them and know them in my heart. This sorting out is necessary in order to
share them with the next generation.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have kids, like me-- but I am
certain that there are younger people who look up to you or at least hang out
with you in some regard. Share the joy of unearthing jewels of God’s word
during a road trip: get the whole car involved in completing the alphabet of
God’s words… and as you say or listen, open your heart to embrace and flourish
in the promises you discover in them for your life. I’ve done it and believe me, once you get past the “corny” part and
actually remember the joy of His Word, it will build you up and challenge you to
search deeper still through what you have heard, read, or learned throughout the
years in different Christian settings.
And when the tough times come, oh how these words will come
to live!
A is for...
Put your answer below!
Thank you for sharing your moments with us. As a mother we always pray that our children will follow Jesus when they grow up. You are an example of a mother's answered prayers. Now my oldest daughter is a mother and is doing the same thing with her children! God is good. God is faithful and He answers prayers!
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