Having
moved into our new house just before traveling for Thanksgiving break, it was not
until this past week that my wife and I were finally able to get our kitchen
completely unpacked and in some sort of order. So, with the family all
snowed-in together last Friday, we decided to celebrate this exciting feat by
cooking our first big breakfast in the new home.
Our
little girl, Mati, is always asking to help in the kitchen, and since we were
not in a rush to get anywhere, we thought it would be a wonderful time for her
to serve as our sous chef. So my wife fashioned Mati’s apron upon her all nice
and snug and we put her to work. She briefly helped me grind some coffee but spent most of her time helping mama with the eggs. It was so cool
seeing my girls together – smiling, cooking, and making sweet memories in our
new kitchen. Honestly, that would have been enough. My heart was already full,
but the story didn’t stop there.
As I
completed my culinary tasks, I moved into the living room to enjoy the warmth
of the fireplace and my first cup of joe. From the comfort of our couch, I
overheard a conversation about scrambled eggs that shortly transitioned into a
talk about our Triune God. Mati, just like her brothers, is really good at
asking questions. I mean to tell you, our kiddos can crank out a good 9 or 10 per minute, mid-teens on the better days (meaning those rare times when we are
well-rested and mucho patient). They’re kids. That's what they do. They’re curious as to how
things work and why things are as they are, when and where and what’s next, etc.
On this
particular morning, Mati asked her mom how the eggs could change from “being like water to not” as they began to
form into the scrambled goodness that we love. Over the next few minutes, this innocent
question allowed my wife the opportunity to talk about the various kinds of ways to make eggs and the different states of
water (vapor, ice, liquid) and how the concept is similar
to how God is three distinct persons (Father, Son, Spirit) and yet completely one in essence and
being. She had a chance to share some foundational truths of the Christian faith.
My wife had the blessed opportunity to talk to our daughter about God. Now,
before I continue, there are a couple of things to note: 1) I am not suggesting
that our 6-year-old is suddenly ready to defend Nicene trinitarianism. Since
the fullness of such things are even beyond my grasp as an adult, I’m gonna
guess we may need to have some follow-up convos on this topic in the future. 2)
My wife didn’t have this talk planned out. She didn’t have a script ready to
go. She was simply present in the moment, and when given a genuine occasion to talk about the Lord, she took
advantage of it.
Now
some of you may ask why this is important. “What’s
the big deal? I like my eggs over-easy anyway.” The point is that we are
called to keep the truths of scripture, not only in the forefront of our minds,
but ever before our children as well (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Capitalizing on the
every day moments we are given to communicate God’s love and faithfulness is
imperative in helping connect the dots for our children. A little dialogue in a
kitchen today may set the footing for a deeper spiritual discussion in the
teenage years ahead. Perhaps most significantly, it makes our faith important
in the “right now” and the impact that might have on our sons and daughters, is
truly immeasurable.
At NBC
we refer to these types of conversational encounters as “faith walks”. It is
simply a category for embracing the day-to-day activities of life and engaging our
children in meaningful dialogue when the right opportunity is presented. However, you must be warned. If you
are intentional in this way, you may become guilty of over-spiritualizing from time
to time. Your breakfast may occasionally get pushed back to the brunch time slot and you
might even find a piece of eggshell in your omelet…but you may also succeed in
pointing your children to Jesus. And we
can be confident of this: if ever they catch a glimpse of who He really is, they
will never be the same. May we observe the Lord at work in our daily lives and be emboldened
to tell our children of His grace and goodness.
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