Devotions & Dinner Time
Our church had this awesome idea to give us a daily devotional pamphlet to do at home during the week that goes along with the sermons on Sunday. Me in my oh so idealistic mind pictured us doing this nice little devotion at supper time while we were all seated around the table. The kids would be quietly listening, Kaleigh may even ask a few questions, Nathan and I could discuss the topic - maybe brainstorming ways we could help people. . . You know where this is going, right?
I had good reason to be optimistic. After all, Avery had just [loudly] voiced the world's best prayer just a few days before. DEAR GOD! THANK YOU POOD (food)! MOMMY DADDY! THANK YOU HOUSE! WUV OO JESUS! AMEN! I mean this girl is ready to delve deeper, or so I thought.
So as everyone is settling into their food I get out the devotion guide and start reading. I open the bible to the scripture passage and about one verse in - Kaleigh is persistently asking the same question for the 176th time even though we told her to wait, Alexis and Avery begin singing "If you're Happy & you know it" at the top of their lungs, and Emory is whining for more food. Nathan's not even listening, he's just telling me how futile this effort is and he and I should just do it on our own.
But I persist, until maybe the third verse and now I'm just yelling scripture. "TAKING THE FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH...
EVERYBODY BE QUIET! I'M TRYING TO READ THE BIBLE!
Yes, this is sadly, true. It was at this point that I decided to give up on Dinnertime Devotions. For now anyway. Maybe I could incorporate it into the meal by telling them that Jesus could make their green beans feed the whole neighborhood. Or not...
5 comments:
Just console yourself with the fact that God's Word doesn't return void. So say it whenever you can, have it up on the walls, practice easy memory verses together and just recite them as a family at each meal. You will be amazed at how much they end up getting into their heart. Keep the faith! You are doing an amazing job!
Shelly,
That totally cracked me up! Your house sounds like ours....it is near impossible to have a devotional as a family without some sort of interuption or someone having to go potty. LOL! Keep trying, our kids are getting a little older and more interested. I am starting to have quite time with Emma every night and it is working. I bet Kaleigh would like something like that. They have great children's devotionals.
That cracks me up!!!!!! I remember yelling at Eli & Sophie, "JESUS SAYS TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER"....later I realized, that I probably totally didn't do a good job relaying the message! :)
I am laughing hysterically! Most of our Jesse Tree readings in December ended about the same as this. We just have to keep at it! :)
That is too funny! You paint a great picture. LOL Maybe you can read the devotion ahead of time and then bring up important points about it to the kids at dinner. Just in talking to them, insead of them knowing you're reading it. You do have a house full of girls, there won't ever be a quiet moment. LOL
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