Bmeandering

Bmeandering

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Psalm 119 and a little boy learns


I have a two-year-old grandson
who says a prayer before he eats.
He prays it audibly, although at times very quickly,
so it's over before some have realized it has begun.
(But that's okay.)

The words are:
"Dear God, Thank you for our food.  Amen."

Aaron can answer questions about Jonah and the whale,
Noah and the ark (boat), and other Bible stories.
He knows Jesus loves him and how to say a resounding "Amen!"
(He also knows O stands for Obey---that's when he is misbehaving
and his parents are dealing with him.)
There's more, but you get the idea, I hope.

The point is that this little boy is being brought up on God's Word.
He shames me by praying before he eats when I don't.
I know better.
How do I though?
And how does he?
My parents raised me and  his are raising him in a Christian home
with respect for God and the Bible
and everything that goes with both.

Can you overdo it?
Yes. Both my brothers would agree with my answer.
But do I believe it's still worth it?
I can only answer for me and that's yes.

I don't believe totally like my parents did,
but I was given a foundation and then a choice.
Aaron is being given that foundation.
When he's an adult, he will have a choice.
The important part is that he will have a foundation from which to choose.
Some don't.
I'm thankful he does and so will his little sister.

This leads me into more of Psalm 119. 
I gave some verses last week.
I did eventually read all 176 verses
and found that David
asserts the same truth over and over:
Know God's Word, commandments, law, and so on.
Say them. Live them. Believe them. Stand on them.

I know the Old Testament Law was shaken up a bit with Jesus.
He gave us a new commandment:
to love one another as we would have them love us.
I believe that with prayer, scripture reading of both Old and New,
alone time with God---keeping in touch with all of God--
a valuable and positive difference is made in my life.

This week's Psalm of the Week:
27) Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.

29) Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness [to You],
and graciously impart Your law to me.

32) I will [not merely walk, but] run
the way of Your commandments,
when You give me a heart that is willing.

33) Teach me, O Lord,
the way of Your statutes,
and I will keep it to the end [steadfastly].

34) Give me understanding,
that I may keep Your law;
yes, I will observe it with my whole heart.

38) Establish Your word and confirm Your promise
to Your servant,
which is for those who reverently fear
 and devotedly worship You.

40) Behold, I long for Your precepts;
in Your righteousness give me renewed life.

41) Let Your mercy and loving-kindness
come also to me, O Lord,
even Your salvation according to Your promise

42) Then shall I have an answer for those
 who taunt and reproach me,
for I lean on, rely on,
and trust in Your word.

The following photos are of Aaron with his Grandpa Mike.
Sara came back up with both children.
She worked at the family company
while grandparents got special time
with Aaron and Abigail.

I like this series because it shows
how attentive Aaron is to instructions
and how he follows through.
(And his parents haven't gotten to see these pics,
so this is for them also).

How to spray this particular hose
and then plant grass seed:
Aaron is tall for his age.
Sometimes folks who don't know his age
will expect him to act like a four-year-old
 and not the two that he is.



I asked him to look at me, but he really didn't want to take his eyes
off the spot of ground he was watering.





Blessings to you all as you go through the rest of this weekend.


9 comments:

  1. Interesting post, Beth---and one that makes us all THINK. Yes--there are all kinds of Christians and YES, I think we can 'overdo' it...

    I have a blog friend who is a wonderful Christian lady. I love her --but she overdoes it. Her entire blog and world is based on Jesus/God. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that if you choose to do it, but she says that we should not have TV's in our homes because the devil is in them... To me--that is 'overdo'.....

    The devil/temptations are everywhere we look in life. We make choices and decisions for our own lives based on our beliefs. I raised my kids with the fundamental Christian beliefs --but allowed them to 'experience' life (if you know what I mean). As they got older, they could make their own choices about things in their lives.

    To me, life is about BALANCE... You balance out the good from the bad--and just do the best you can, with God's help...

    I will say that I don't judge other Christians (like my blog friend) who make different choices than I might make. It takes all of us!!!!

    Sorry I went on and on..
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. Your pics are wonderful, Beth! Your little grandson is so cute! It's so good to hear of young parents teaching a child God's truths.

    I agree that encouraging legalism is not God's way; He wants a Father/child relationship with us - not simply following ritual or rules. One can follow every rule in the book and not know Jesus in a saving relationship.

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  3. Little Aaron is a cutie! Sounds like he is being raised well.
    I think it can be overdone if it's done in a legalistic way and the parents are so strict, that the kid can never "get it right". I had a friend that was brought up that way and all the kids in her family rebelled.

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  4. Oh, he looks so diligent in what his grandpa is teaching him.

    "Train up a child in the way he should go" comes to mind. We sometimes forget each child is uniquely and wonderfully made.

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  5. Parents have to give foundation, and then a choice - roots, and then wings! Happy Sunday!

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  6. These photos make me smile :)

    (And it seems like a small miracle that you can simply put down grass seed, water, and grow grass! Here the grass is mostly weeds, and we have none at all, now, just groundcovers and drought-resistant plants. My family just got back from a Kentucky reunion and they can't stop talking about how green everything was...)

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  7. So happy for you with your little one. And, yes, it's joyful to hear their hearts so turned towards the Lord. And the seed is planted forever...

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  8. i really like the photo of Aaron spreading the seeds onto the ground.

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  9. Aaron is adorable...grandpa is sweet.

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