We are in strange times my friends. I just spent two weeks helping my son and his wife out with their two children, both under two. I must admit, it was difficult to find quiet time to reflect, pray, and read God’s word. My son is still working, but my daughter-in-law is a teacher and since school is closed due to COVID-19, she is required to join meetings online and teach online all the while keeping her precious, rambunctious 17-month old and 2-month old from joining her online sessions. She is to be coherent while instructing her students, with only at best, 4-5 hours of sleep, all interrupted, for the past two months. How does she have time and a clear mind to live daily with God? Don’t get me wrong, she and my son love the Lord, but they are in a time in their lives when all they can do is try to make sure the babies are fed, have dry diapers and are in clothes that don’t have too much food or spit-up on them. To them and to others out there who are in the same situation, I encourage you with these words from Psalm 68:19: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
As I’ve been home for a couple of days now, and am able to reflect on their busy lives. I know God is with them. But it is hard to hear God’s voice when babies are crying, your brain is fuzzy, you are sleep deprived, and you are really frustrated that you can’t take the kids to a park to play because the parks are closed. This blog is for parents of young children who need encouragement and love and need to know that they can still daily live with God and contemplate on His word.
The Importance of Living Daily with God
Why is it so important to try to daily walk with God? Solomon wrote about how wisdom comes from God and how we are to listen to wisdom, aka the Father. When we do, we know that God is with us and helping us through tough situations. See what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 8:33-35:
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the LORD.
In other words, if you integrate ways to listen to God during each day, you will have God’s favor. If you find favor in God’s eyes, so will your children. It also means that He will help you find humor in your situation and be less frustrated when your few minutes of quiet time become interrupted again by the cries of a waking child.
It’s important to note that nowhere in the Bible does God give a specific amount of time that you need to pray and read His word. Rest in the knowledge that God made each and every one of us and knows more than we do, how busy our lives are. If you are in this stage of your life, it’s alright to tell God, “I’m really exhausted, I need to sleep, thanks for getting me through another day,” and then get those quick zzz’s in.
Intentionally making God a Part of your Daily Life
More than anything, God wants a relationship with you. He wants to talk with you, listen to you, love you and give you peace. This means, just like you intentionally find time to talk with your children and your spouse, you also intentionally find time to talk with God. God definitely honors 2 second conversations. As I’ve watched my son and His family work hard to keep God as a member of their family, and as I’ve had only a couple of weeks to help out, I thought I’d share a few suggestions concerning how to do just this. These suggestions come from my children, and from being able to step back and look at ways to keep God in their lives, teach about Him to their children and not just survive this crazy time, but thrive in it. I hope some of these suggestions help. I would also love to hear how others are working to daily live their lives with God. If you have a suggestion, even if you aren’t living in the craziness with small children, please write it in the comment box. If I have enough suggestions, I will include them in a post at a later date. I would love to hear from all of you.
Suggestions
Please understand these are only suggestions; what may work for my family may not work for you. I do hope that one or two will help you walk daily with God so that you will be able to experience His peace, no matter what situation you are in life.
When your child wakes up, simply tell him/her, “God loves you.”
Thank God every day for blessing you with your children.
Do a google search for Bible songs for kids/babies/infants. You’d be amazed what comes up. Nothing like singing and dancing to use up some of that overabundance of energy little ones have.
Write down a Bible passage and put it on your refrigerator. Take the week to memorize it.
Choose a mantra for the day such as, “God loves me” or “Jesus brings peace” or anything else that will help calm frustrating times.
When the weather permits, take a walk with your children. Pray as you walk.
Ask for prayers from family and friends to help you each day. Don’t be proud, we are in this life together, and prayer warriors are a gift from God.
If age appropriate, have the kids help with cooking and baking. Then teach them to pray before each meal.
Join an online Christian group with members that are in the same stage of life you are in.
Read a daily devotional either online or in book form. If you are in to missions, a good one is Voices of the Faithful by Beth Moore and Friends. If you don’t have time to read, listen to it as an audiobook.
These are just a few suggestions. I hope to hear from my readers about how they daily live with God as well.
…Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end (Hebrews 3:13 & 14).
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