I wanted to call this The Lazy Person's Guide, but then I got real with myself and admitted that I'm not lazy. Overwhelmed? Occasionally, yes. Tired? Sure, who isn't. But mostly just busy. Busy all the time. There are probably a dozen things I should be doing right now instead of blogging and those dozen things will get done after I finish here and before I start the NEXT dozen things on the list - the list that never goes away, never ends, never even seems to shorten some days. (That list, by the way, is called life. I always thought other people just got their lists done - now I realize no one is done. Just one giant cosmic hamster wheel.)
Anyway, you get the point. But I'm also a Christian and our family is raising children and this brings up the issue of what to do in order to, as some people phrase it, 'bring up a child in the Lord'. To train them in the Christian faith, to school them in what it all means, to rid them of false ideas they pick up like a boat picks up seaweed and replace that nonsense with truth - how can I do that, being, as I am, so busy?
Well, obviously the first step is to WANT to do it. To prioritize doing such a thing, which we do. If I have time to read one story and I have a choice between two books, I will try to choose the one that will start a Godly conversation, or has a good moral to it over the latest Barbie Princess whatever. If I have some time alone with a child, say on a walk, I will turn the conversation towards God. If someone hits someone else, I'll use the opportunity to bring up how we treat each other. It's all about catching your chances to bring faith into the everyday.
But what else can someone do? Well, we started by introducing grace at supper, and have progressed to grace before any meal. It isn't always heartfelt, but it is said. We pray before bed, as well, and I try to make certain that that time we go a little more in depth. How? Well, I ask a lot of questions. 'Is there any person you want to pray for? Is there anything on your mind? What about so-and-so - since they are sick.' The questions are meant to be a starting off point for thinking outside of ourselves.
I also make sure the children see and hear me pray. I know this is a challenge for a lot of people, and praying out loud was for me as well, for many years. In fact I still don't like it. But I do it, and I have gotten more comfortable at it. I pray aloud for them at bedtime, listing good things they have done and thanking God for those pleasant and loving aspects of their spirits, and then asking for Christ's help in improving those areas that could use improvement. I also pray for myself in their presence - that I would be patient and loving and kind.
Beyond those rather obvious ideas, my main technique is to constantly surround them with as much Christian good influence as I can. Not all Christian influence is good, but I pick and choose and do my best. We listen to Christian music in the car while we're driving, and I sing along. We buy cds for when we aren't anywhere near a radio station (we live in the middle of nowhere). We listen to Christian music at home as well, but it's more of a car thing for me; at home I prefer to put on the classical station. If they ask for a movie or a show I will offer something with good morals first. Not that they watch anything not good as a rule but instead of a junky cartoon, for example. To this end we've bought a lot of Christian children's shows and older shows. We love The Andy Griffith Show. I buy them books and stickerbooks with a Christian theme. Not all the time, but often.
We also try to talk a lot about our faith throughout the day. "Daddy's at the church! What's Daddy's job?" "Do you remember when we read this passage in church? What did it mean?" Or if a child brings up the topic (which happens a lot) "Oh that's interesting! Let's look in the Bible and see what it says."
So there you go. Since the children are homeschooled I probably *should* do some sort of more formal Bible study program, but as I said - busy. Too busy to teach the Bible, just to live it.
Let me know what you do.
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