And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And you Father who sees in secret will reward you. ~ Matt. 6:5-6, ESV
Quick Sip
There are times for praying and spending time at God’s feet in private. Just you and God in communion. Those times are especially nice and a relief when you’re a parent and are feeling overwhelmed with raising the blessings God’s given you.
However, while your raising your children, it’s as important for them to witness you spending time with God as it is for you to get that alone time in yourself. Some of my fondest memories as a child were coming through in the morning and seeing my Mom doing her quiet time. Her coffee in one hand, and her Bible in the other. Often during those times, instead of closing her Bible, she would sit me beside her and read to me what she had been reading. As I got older, we would talk about what we thought it meant.
Those times, though I’m sure frustrating to her when her quiet time was cut short almost daily during some seasons, were some of the most vital times to my growing faith. During them, she wasn’t telling me how to live a relationship with God. Instead, daily she showed me what it looked like and let me walk beside her.
I’ve seen her do the same with Ethan. When we are visiting and he happens to get up in the morning before she is done with her quiet time, even now she doesn’t shut her Bible and put it away. Instead, she takes him on her lap, points to the page, and says, “Do you see what it says here? God. Loves. Ethan.” Then she turns to another page, takes his little finger in hers and traces it across the page as she reads again, “God. Loves. Ethan.”
Oh, for the patience to do the same!
Starting today when my boys come pounding on my door, instead of closing my Bible, I’m going to remember to invite them on the journey with me. I’m going to take them on my lap, take their little fingers in mine, and trace them across the page as I read, “God. Loves. Ethan” and “God. Loves. Liam.”
Because 20 years from now God and I will have a lot of time to spend together in secret, but I only have these moments with the boys now to show them how to live out the relationship I try to teach them about daily.
Full Cup
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