Tonight we hung our stockings, put up some lights, had hot cocoa and hung up our Jesse Tree. Along side it a string of red and green rings, each with a different Bible verse on it to begin an Advent calendar come December first.
I sat my sons down and we talked about what the Jesse tree and string of red and green is for. I told them briefly about Isaiah, David, Jesse, God's promise and all the people who waited throughout history for the Savior God would send.
It was a struggle I'll tell ya. Getting my 5 and 7 year old to sit still long enough to listen to anything for 5 minutes is a highly tuned skill we're working on! But even through the redirection, correction, and frequent interruptions I found myself thinking determinedly, "I WILL tell my sons Your story God! I won't stop telling them about their Savior!"
After we finished I thought of a section from Psalm 78. Asaph wrote:
I love this time of year for many reasons, but topping them all is the opportunity to daily tell my kids of my God and HIStory.
I sat my sons down and we talked about what the Jesse tree and string of red and green is for. I told them briefly about Isaiah, David, Jesse, God's promise and all the people who waited throughout history for the Savior God would send.
It was a struggle I'll tell ya. Getting my 5 and 7 year old to sit still long enough to listen to anything for 5 minutes is a highly tuned skill we're working on! But even through the redirection, correction, and frequent interruptions I found myself thinking determinedly, "I WILL tell my sons Your story God! I won't stop telling them about their Savior!"
After we finished I thought of a section from Psalm 78. Asaph wrote:
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past- stories we have heard and known... We will not hide these truths from our children, we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders... He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them- even the children not yet born- and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. (from verses 2-7, New Living Translation)
I love this time of year for many reasons, but topping them all is the opportunity to daily tell my kids of my God and HIStory.
Quieted,
Sheila
