I had to drive to the big city up north and take my grandson to the orthodontist. He is 15. He is a smart kid, if I do say so myself. Sometimes he really impresses me with how he is paying attention to the world around him. I enjoy taking him places because he loves deep conversation about life and the world. He has a curious mind about what is happening and why. He always has questions about how to improve certain things in his life, such as vertical leap, speed, grades and showing the world around him Jesus. He listens intently. It is a window that I am very glad opens on occasion. I do not take it for granted.

Our window of opportunity to teach our children is not always open. When it does open, we need to be ready with answers and insights. We need to be ready to share and listen to what they are saying. I have been reading about the murder trial in Lubbock recently. The accused’s family testified and kept saying over and over, “We knew he had problems. We just didn’t realize how bad it was.” And now it is too late. We have to be paying attention to our kids. We have to be very watchful and mindful of how we speak to them and what they are saying, or even not saying, to us.  We are our children’s best and first teachers. We are how they learn to interact with the world. We are supposed to be the most trusted people in their lives. 

What and how are you teaching your children and grandchildren? The Bible is very specific about teaching our kids about God. In Joel 1:3, he writes, “Tell it (the story of what God has done) to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

In Deuteronomy 6:7, he writes, “Tell them (The stories of God’s goodness.) to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when your are working. Tie them on your arms and wear them on your foreheads as a reminder. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.”

Clearly, God intends for us to teach our children the stories of His love and His provisions over us. We have the stories from the Bible to share, but we also should have stories from our own lives of how God has cared for us. Stories of when we accepted Jesus into our own hearts. Stories of His love shown in our lives. 

When that window opens for you with your child, will you be ready? Oh tell them the stories of God and His love! It will make a difference!

By: Gina Caswell Kelly