Making memories around the table.
We will not hide them from their
children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and
his might, and the wonders which he has wrought. He established a testimony in
Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach
to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet
unborn, and arise and tell them to their children
-Psalm 78:4-6
A couple years ago, I was
memorizing the above verses on my morning walk. As I sought to make the verses
part of who I was (see Jeremiah 15:16), God revealed to me a great application
for the Scriptures:
Use
mealtime to share My glorious deeds.
After all, shared meals are
significant for families (see http://thefamilydinnerproject.org/resources/faq/).
But shared meals don’t automatically become wonderful. If we eat in
silence, bicker, or focus on idle chatter, we are spending time together, but
we might be harder-pressed to call it quality time.
With our family, we have always
sought to talk through our day, discuss highs and lows, and end suppertime with
family devotions. But how much more exciting to share about the wonders God has
wrought!
Here are some tips to get you
started:
- Start simply. Ask basic questions about what God is teaching everyone lately. This will likely lead to opportunities to discuss ways to learn from God (e.g. His Word, church, good podcasts, or books). Talking about the everyday things we learn is just as important as sharing the amazing stories. Nothing is too basic to mention.
- Take some time to reflect and create a list. Then pull out that list every once in a while to trigger a story. Look back on those times when something happened that was undeniably God at work. I have shared with family and friends around the table some of the same “impossible” stories shared through this blog (http://thebookoflifeblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/an-impossible-proposal.html and http://thebookoflifeblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-amazing-airport-run.html are favorites).
- Affirm everyone’s efforts, and be sure siblings do the same. We want to be clear from the start that we are all learning storytelling skills. We need to show patience with each other as we grow.
- Don’t be afraid to share the same stories. After all, repeated stories become part of your family’s story—your legacy. We have a funny tale about “midget bears” that is often referenced. How much more exciting when the story of how God provided for Mom’s college expenses becomes an oft-repeated tale!
My prayer is that our habit of
sharing about God’s wondrous deeds will not only make God’s power and love
central to our family’s story, but that the habit itself will be passed on to
generations to come.
What are your ideas for making
this habit part of your family life?
What glorious deeds of the Lord do
you have to share?
