Very Good
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 12:51AM Since Christian and Eliana are in school in the afternoons, I have quite a bit of time with just Michaela. It's been a long time since I could say that. She is patient, and helpful, and loving, and often I don't give her the time and attention that I'm sure she needs and I know she would love. Now that we are home alone for several hours I have a chance to invest some wonderful time in our relationship.
A while back I bought a book designed to be a devotional Bible study for a mother and a daughter. It's called Just Mom and Me Having Tea. It seems like a sweet book, and of course it's wonderful because we get to stop, sit, look at the Bible, and have tea! This is something that I have been sorely lacking in...on my own, or with the kids lately - reading the Bible, not having tea. I am looking forward to the challenge and the delight that will come from simply reading God's word and taking it in.
I told Michaela about this book when I first bought it, and reminded her of it today once we returned from dropping Eliana off in her class. She immediately began bustling around, looking for a tablecloth, placemats and cloth napkins, as well as something to set her mug on because,"we have placemats and cloth napkins and my mug can't go on a regular napkin!"
Duh! I'm so unsophisticated compared to her.
She got us all set up and I made the tea (we didn't get all fancy this time, just a pot on the stove and a couple of mugs). We headed to the dining room table with its hodge-podge of decor, quite eclectic and quirky, I think. She went and got two Bibles, and we discovered that we needed colored pencils as well. She ran and got those too.
There were some preliminary and important things to take care of in the beginning of the book; we signed a covenant regarding the study, our interaction and our days, and our love for the Lord. I asked her if she knew what a covenant was and she said,"Isn't it like a promise?" Exactly.
People aren't so great at keeping promises all the time. To that end, there are often many disappointments, unmet expectations. As heartbreaking as this fact is, it is what makes grace all the more lovely. I pray that this study, this time together can be one of growth...a time when I learn what it means to keep promises, when I am able to see the great benefit from doing so quite first-hand, a time when I will be blessed to learn all that this sweet and insightful young lady will share. I pray that we will know grace, together.
One of the first things in the chapter was a drawing activity. We had to draw pictures of the good things that God created in the world...
And then we had to draw a self-portrait...a picture of what God considers "very good", the pinnacle of his creation, man. Or woman, in this instance.
Part of the point of the first lesson is to establish the value that we have, because we are God's, and we are created in his image.
I have to say that in general it bothers me when a great deal of emphasis is put on how wonderful we are, even as God's children, and that he loves us so much as we are. I think that is true, as it says in Romans 5:8,"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." However. He does not want us to stay in that state from which we were rescued. We are valuable, yes, but our great dignity lies in the fact that we are created as God's image bearers in this world, not just because we are fabulous. We as humans have the unique honor of being created in the likeness of the Almighty maker of heaven and earth! That is what makes us special. What I liked about this book was that right away the author, Mary Murray, acknowledges this truth.
Thinking we are special (I prefer the word valuable) must be rooted in our knowledge of God's love and how we are set apart by his gift - his likeness. And just as he shows us how to walk in his ways, we are showing our daughters how to walk. Which way am I headed? That is quite a question for me to ponder, especially these days.
As a mom, particularly as a mom of daughters, I want so much for my children. Ironically, I often get in the way of the things I want for them myself. I become the greatest hindrance in their lives when it comes to knowing God and being joyful. I don't say that to beat myself up; the OCD does wreak havoc around here. (It's not me, it's my OCD! It's always nice to be able to place the blame elsewhere, isn't it?) I want their days to be less stressful, more full of laughter, less full of fussing and complaining, and richer in love and things like Scripture and prayer. I do think we are taking steps, baby ones maybe, toward a life that is more joyful...and I look at these steps and I think,"This is good..."
It is very good.
Reader Comments (4)
Yes it is VERY good. Wonderful post and darling girl!
Look at you getting all spiritual on us in the middle of the week. :) No, really I love this post and I love your new routine. Thanks for giving us a peek.
That devotional sounds really neat! What ages do you think it's good for?
love you two girls! thank you so much for sharing these posts, and the more recent one of M's amazing questions regarding heaven. How incredible and memorable to share that time with her. Thank you so much for letting us have a peek into your intimate time too. So much to learn, so much to think about.
I love you!