Today is the 19th installment of 30 days of resources for your family to use to grow together. Each of our daily activities will have the following pieces:
- PLAY TOGETHER: An opportunity to have fun and do something together instead of watching Netflix.
- TALK TOGETHER: Around the dinner table or just two of you sitting on the back porch, take turns asking these questions to learn more about the other.
- ORIENT TOGETHER: In time of need we have an opportunity to renew our vision for Jesus, and pray for His work in our life and world.
We hope these resources are helpful to you as a family. Feel free to share with others as well!
Wall Ball: Wall ball is a fast-paced game. It can be played one-on-one or with teams of two or three players. Wall ball rules vary, but basically you must throw the ball against a wall and catch it after one bounce or in the air. If you throw the ball and it hits the ground before hitting the wall, if the other player or team catches the ball in the air after it bounces off the wall or you fumble the ball when trying to catch it, you must run and touch the wall before the other player or team throws the ball. If you don’t touch the wall before the ball does, the other player or team wins a point. Continue the game until one player or team has 15 points.
- Is it difficult for you to be silent before the Lord?
- What are some steps to take to focus on God’s voice during your quiet time? (Take your cell phone away, turn off your music, etc.)
- Why is it important to be silent and wait?
Are we too busy “doing”?
I don’t know about you, but this has been a challenging time for me. I enjoy being busy and running from one event to another. As I have had more time to slow down and enjoy being in the present, I feel like the Lord is teaching me more about what it means to slow down and be silent. I will be honest, I am not good at being in silence or waiting. Even my time with the Lord consist of music in the background or I get distracted by what my day to day looks like. What does it mean to be silent and wait upon the Lord?
Read 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Saul, who was the first king of Israel, did not know much about silence or listening to God. He had several good qualities that David also possessed. Saul was extremely gifted, successful in military, a political leader, and anointed. Yet unlike David, we never see him seeking to be with the Lord. In 1 Samuel 15:22-23, Samuel is correcting Saul for “doing” so many religious acts but not allowing himself to “being” quiet or listen to God.
In the American culture, we love to be “doing”. I have to always remind myself that doing things for the Lord can sometimes keep me from “being” with Him. Just like Samuels reminder to Saul, I need to be reminded to slow down and wait. Why is it so hard to wait? I believe it is because we are impatient and it feels uncomfortable. We are so used to having what we want, when we want it. Yet, we read in scripture that our timing isn’t God’s timing. Do we really think we know better or know more than God? Why do we not trust His word and enjoy the silence and wait upon the Lord?
I love this quote from Mother Teresa, “We all must take the time to be silent and to contemplate, especially those who live in big cities like London or New York, where everything moves so fast… I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence, for it is in the silence- we need to listen to God because it’s not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters.”
Today’s Family Resource for Growing Together is written by Nate Bowen, a youth pastor in Lexington, SC.
MODGNIK 