Sunday nights have become “family devotions night” in the Creech household. It’s one of my favorite nights of the week.
We started with it this semester, wanting to have a regularly scheduled time in the Bible as a family. I’ll admit, when we first began I wasn’t sure what the kids were going to think, but they love it!
We’re still basically in the first couple of pages of the Bible, but after being challenged by something that our Animism class teacher said, I’m content to stay there for a while longer. In class he was talking about the importance of laying the foundation for the rest of the Bible story by really delving into the Creator God. I got to thinking that most of the time I’ve just jumped through creation pretty quickly. Kind of like, “Yeah it’s cool, but what about ‘the main story’…”
Forgetting of course, that the main character in the Bible is God and that creation actually reveals quite a lot about who He is – and how He feels about us.
So this last Sunday we were talking about the animals that God made, and started asking the kids different questions.
“Did God make all this stuff because He needed it? Was He lonely?”
Kelsey piped up, “No because Jesus and the Holy Spirit were there!”
“So why did He make it then?” We asked a few more questions trying to get them to think, before gradually getting down to the point.
He made air, and food, and water, and cute, fuzzy animals for us because He loved us. Not because He needed us, but because He chose, in His goodness, to love us.
We went on to tell the kids that all those things are reminders of how much He loves us. When we look out at the sunrise or sunset and see the beautiful colors painted across the sky God is reminding us of His love and goodness.
I asked them if they’d ever thought of that before. They shook their heads, giggling, eyes bright with the wonder of it. And as I was talking about it, their childlike wonder was reflected back in me. How many times I take for granted the fact that I have air to breath, and food to eat, overlooking the expression of God’s love and goodness.
I’m sitting at our desk this afternoon, a gentle breeze blowing the curtains, watching the trees swaying in the wind and I’m reminded of simple, yet incredibly profound truths – He is good. He loves me.
~Stacy
Tamara says
Beautiful post, Stacy, as always. 🙂 Love you!