Occasionally I have a good idea. It doesn’t happen often. In fact, I think in the past year, I have had exactly two good ideas. The second is the reason I’m writing this post, but I’ll share the first as a bonus.
Firstly, I have friends who teach their children the “Interrupting Rule”: when mom is talking to another adult, either in person or on the phone, and the child has something to say, the child quietly puts his hand on his mom’s arm. The mom puts her hand on top of his in acknowledgment, and when there is an opportunity, gives the child a chance to speak. I’ve always admired this rule. Last fall, I decided to teach it to Christopher. As I was explaining what I wanted him to do, I had a moment of brilliance . . . I called it our “secret signal.” There is something intriguing to a 4-year-old boy about having a secret signal, and he caught on right away. He is terrific at giving me the secret signal! Sometimes he even gives it to grandparents and other adults who can’t quite figure out why he is standing there with his hand on their arm. 🙂
My recent good idea has to do with praying for my kids. I have used a couple of different books in the past, and they have been a great help. My struggle recently has been wanting to spend in-depth time each day praying for my children. Last summer, I typed out topics and Scripture from “Praying the Scriptures for your Children” by Jodie Berndt. I have used them some, but not as consistently as I’d like.
So the other night I cut and pasted the verses into a small notebook, making a flip calendar for myself. I put it by my bathroom sink, since I spend 10-30 minutes there every morning doing mundane tasks such as brushing my teeth and drying my hair. I realize this is not as ideal as sitting quietly, devoting myself only to praying these Scriptures for my children, but at least I am reminded of the topic and some verses that I can call to mind during the day. I also find the verses to be edifying for my personal walk with the Lord each day. When I’m done with Berndt’s topics, I may cut and paste my notes from “31 Days of Prayer for My Child”–another great resource about praying for your children.
By Grace Alone 