Karen asks an honest and probing question in her recent
comment. I want to thank Karen for her comment.
She is not alone in her weariness. I have listed her comment immediately
below.
How can you get back that truth of
God that you feel has slipped from your heart? How do you help your children
who have not been brought to the arms of God since their infancy and are now
wondering what has gotten into Mom that she keeps talking about the wonder of
God? How do you keep from getting discouraged over the constant bowing down to
idols? I am becoming weary, now that school is out and the troops are
altogether under one roof 24/7.
God knew that we would be weary. He has provided a
comforting response to our weariness - his own son, Christ Jesus. In Matthew
11:28-30 we read:
Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Jesus calls those who are weary to come to him. So what does
this mean for someone in Karen's situation? How can she find rest for her soul
with a house full of storm troopers home for the summer?
The first answer is to realize that we are forgetful people
- that is why Moses warned the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:9 not to forget
God's mercies. One of the chief functions of the Lord's Supper is to aid us in
our remembrance of Christ and what he has accomplished for us. So over and over
again in the Bible we are told not to forget, but to remember. So when the kids
swarm through house on summer break, it is important to remember what we know
of God's goodness extended to us. Our sins truly are forgiven. Christ has paid the punishment for our sins.
God has provided our children to us - not to tempt us, but to bless us. He
promises to hear our prayers. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us.
He says that his Word contains all that we need for life and godliness. And while
we may not have seen the wonders that the Israelites saw, we have seen Christ.
The children in Deuteronomy 4 would not see the wonderful signs that their
parents saw everyday. Yet Moses said to teach them about the wonders of God,
even if they had not experienced them first hand.
For us today, that means we must teach our children the
wonder of God, even if they have yet to know his grace in their hearts. This
means we must present God with pleasant words that promote instruction and show
our dependence upon his mercy.
Sometimes it is good to address the situation head on. For
example, the kids are home. They may all have agendas of what they think is
good to do. These agendas may seldom line up with Mom's agenda. The immediate result is irritation, struggle
and weariness.
One response might be something like this: Get mom and dad
and the kids together. If you have family worship, that would be an ideal time
to have this discussion. In any event, sit the kids down and clearly lay out
the problems and the opportunities. This is a good discussion for Dad to lead. First,
lay out are the scheduling needs and issues that mom needs to accomplish each
day. Lay out the non-negotiables that must be accomplished, and then work with the
kids to decide how they fit in with this. Designate appropriate free time, family work time and
individual responsibilities. Pray with everyone about the importance of keeping
this set of priorities during the summer months.
This may seem intimidating, or just plain unrealistic. Give
it a try--it is a good place to start.
Think about the previous post on the things that are important to your
children. Before your talk with the kids, pray for God's wisdom. Remember your
love for Christ. Ask God for a renewed
sense of gratitude. Meditate on a passage like 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Those of
you who are reading this post, pray for Karen and for all of us. When we are
weary, Christ call us to come to him.
Think about this scenario, and I'll have more to say in the
next post. But for now, let me know your thoughts. Thanks again, Karen, for
raising this. Blessings.
This article has been tagged with:
Practical advice for keeping sanity in those summer months that tend to be less structured than the rest of the year. Christ knows our weariness and our struggles and thankfully He offers us new mercies every day!