Last week, I listened to a message by Gregg Harris given at Covenant Life Church; the message was part of their “Don’t Waste Your…” series. It’s worth reviewing; you can click here to listen. I particularly appreciated his point about inviting our kids into our lives that they might learn from us in all sorts of situations: running errands, meeting with someone, working on a project, etc. It was a good reminder that everyday life affords us with many teaching environments to seize and utilize.
His point came to mind as I drove home from the Hunts’ house last Sunday afternoon. I had been there for a time of praying for and encouraging Jeffrey before he goes off to college. My 6-year-old son Ryan was with me, as he likes to come to church with me on Sundays and he waits to ride home with me after the meetings. Since I had gone directly from Plank to the Hunts’ house, Ryan came along and sat wonderfully still, listening to Jeffrey being honored and encouraged. What a great opportunity for him to learn, I thought, as I drove home with him.
As we rode together, I asked him if there were any ways he would like to be more like Jeffrey in light of what he heard. He couldn’t remember any specifics (he had listened to quite a bit of encouragement, and was particularly jazzed by the moon-bounce, so I understood). But he did remember one of the teen-aged boys saying how he had sought to be like Jeffrey in certain ways, and that fact stuck with Ryan. And I thought: that’s a good lesson to take away for this afternoon – emulate good examples! We talked about that a bit more, especially about how Jeffrey loves the Savior and why it’s so important for us to do the same.
A small example from a Sunday afternoon, but I was alert to that potential teaching opportunity in light of Gregg Harris’s point to look for such opportunities. You might consider: are there any everyday activities in which you can include your children that would provide a teaching opportunity for them? As the Tripps have pointed out, “life is a classroom;” let’s seize every context in which we might teach them!
Grateful for you!
-Tab
