In my devotion today on Crosswalk and Proverbs 31 Ministries, I talked about a situation where I felt frustrated and completely helpless as a mom. So I asked for God’s help and He came through with a powerful promise to help my son become a can-do kid, and help me become a can-do mom!
Andrew moved beyond who he was to who he could become with God’s help. He learned (and is still learning) that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength, (Phil. 4:13). It’s a spiritual lesson that’s become part of his spiritual legacy. A lesson that’s lasted for years. He was four when it happened and he just turned eleven yesterday!
Monday we talked here about our calling to teach God’s truths to our kids in everyday moments. All throughout January, I’ll be sharing on my blog about becoming a D6 family based on God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 6:5-9. I’ll also be partnering with the D6 conference/ministry each weekday to give away resources to encourage you and your kids along the way.
My story in today’s devotion a D6 moment when I saw what it meant to live out the principles in Deuteronomy 6 – to pass on God’s promises as we go along. God showed me real life application of His Word in the middle of a motherhood meltdown.
And the lesson lingered. It’s been applicable in the days that followed. A year or so afterwards, we were getting ready to leave for school and Joshua offered to help Andrew feed the dogs. Andrew smiled and said, “No thanks. I don’t need help. I’m a can-do kid!”
Just yesterday Andrew was struggling with anxiety. I shared how I have worries, too, and described how I write them down and give them to God. We talked about living in today and not tomorrow until it gets here. Then I read him the devotion and reminded him that he’s a can-do kid who can trust God with His concerns. Then we prayed Philippians 4:13, claiming once again that he can do all things through Christ who gives Him strength. He smiled so big and thanked me for reminding him.
My prayer today is that God will show us all D6 moments with our children so we can help them become can-do kids in Christ!
I also wanted to share promises God used with Gideon in Judges 6 to help him become a can-do kid:
- I am with you. v.12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
- Focus on the strength you have. v.14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
- You can do it! Remember, I am with you. v.16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
I didn’t realize it then, but as I look back I see practical ways I applied this process and these promises with Andrew that day in the kitchen:
- I drew his attention away from something he couldn’t do and focused it toward something he could do.
- I showed him how to do it, and then I did it with him.
- Once he gained his confidence, I stepped back and watched as he completed his assignment with success.
- We celebrated the reality of his new name and talked about how good it felt to do new things.
God is so good! I love that these steps we can take with our children in various situations as we become a Can-Do Moms who are raising Can-Do Kids!
Copyright 2009. Renee Swope – All rights reserved.
We’re giving away two D6-mom resources today, that includeone copy of “Revolutionary Parenting” and one copy of my “Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child“ CD and chart to be selected from your comments today. Be sure to include your email in your comment so we can contact you if you win the give-away. Here are some things I’d love to know:
Has there been a time when you were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with your child in an everyday life moment? What hinders you or helps you look for those teachable moments? Are there other ways you are passing on your faith to your child? I’d love to hear your thoughts, stories and/or questions.
Every Friday, we’ll be giving away two tickets to the D6 Conference. So be sure to come back for more encouragement and resources from D6 and Proverbs 31 Ministries!
Be sure to include your email so we can contact you if you win the give-away.
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
It seems whenever my day is not going the way I’d like it to be I click on today’s message and behold it relates to how my day is going.It never fails the message points me to what I should do. Thanks for everything that you share!!!
[email protected]
Good afternoon…I think many things in children’s lives can be teachable moments…Like when my children are out of the house, and have their own home, I will go to their house and leave my wrappers and glasses sitting in the living room, or stuff garbage down their couch…teachable moments for sure! In all seriousness, I have found that sharing with my daughter especially, things that I went through or learned while in my teen years sparks a little interest. I have a hard time letting them know that I screwed up, so I don’t think they see me as someone who has messed up. I don’t want them to say…Well you did that when you were younger…Something I am scared to admit. not sure why! Pride maybe??
enjoying these conversations!
Shannon
[email protected]
Ok! I just posted a comment and HAVE to leave another one. I was talking about my daughter and I went onto my Facebook and was able to encourage a teenager I know who is singing tomorrow night at her school. She is nervous and I was able to tell her that I had total confidence in her and that she could do it! I quoted Philippians 4:13 and told her to remember that tomorrow evening. She said she would. And I probably wouldn’t have quoted that if I hadn’t JUST read this devotion. GOD is SO timely!! I read this at just the right time to be able to use it to encourage this teen. We serve an AWESOME GOD!!!!! Julie Spearing [email protected]
Hi Renee:
How timely your message is for me and my daughter. I have been struggling with ways I can reach her with God’s word. I have to admit, I have been doing a very poor job of helping her to become close to God and accept Jesus as her Lord and savior. I am going to read your blog every day and look for all the hints, suggestions and ideas you have about this subject. I pray I can bring my daughter, who is 11, to the point she should be as a Christian. I have been so neglectful in this area and I am so happy the God has answered my prayer. This will be the start of helping my daughter understand the love and peace of knowing Jesus and teaching her how to be a “can-do kid.”
Thanks and I look forward to reading and learning more.
My daughter sometimes gets scared at night. I came across a verse in the Psalms that says: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, oh LORD make me dwell in safety.” I had used that verse to remind myself that HE is with me at night when worries overcome me in the middle of the night. Every time I did, I was able to go peacefully back to sleep.
So, when my daughter told me she was scared, I quoted that verse to her and told her that I say that verse when I’m scared. She says “ok”, and then lays her head back down to sleep. I know it is The Holy Spirit calming her spirit. I know it is The Holy Spirit that calms me down too and realize that GOD has everything under HIS control. My daughter, Savannah CAN DO IT!!! Thanks SO much for your devotions and ministry! GOD Bless!! Julie Spearing [email protected]
Hi Renee
Busy busy busy…that is what hinders me from teaching my kids to be “can do” kids. My older is always asking me if she can help and I always say ‘later’ as I know it will be faster to do it myself.
Has been good to read these posts and D6. I need to realize God is giving me teachable moments and I need to take advantage of them. I pray I can slow down and take the time to do so.
I keep having this awful thought in my head that my kids are going to be “troubled teens” if I don’t spend more quality time with them. I think this at the same moment I am ignoring them….I definitely need Gods help in this area!
Blessings
Kim
[email protected]
You asked the question “What hinders you or helps you look for those teachable moments?” For me it is simply being too busy and setting unreal expectations for myself. We miss moments because we do not allow ourselves the time to teach. I would say the majority of moms wake up with some type of agenda or to do list. Many of us are married to this list. Guess who gets put on the back burner as we do this or that – the teachable moments. Our To Do Lists grower longer as we place more expectations upon ourselves to be this or to do that. In doing so I feel this hinders the time to just play with our kids and enjoy them. Many times they become a part of our to do list and we lose the very gift of parenting. We need to leave the house a mess for awhile and spend quality time with our kids and send our high expectations of being Martha Stewart or whoever else we are trying to be packing.
nazyouth4god (at) hotmail (dot) com
A subject close to my heart, friend. I’ve written a whole series of posts on my blog along these lines “Raising Faith”. In particular, I recall a day when I got a call from my then senior son’s teacher. He was caught cheating on an exam, giving an answer to another student. I met him at the school, took him to lunch, and we talked about what it means to embrace holiness in our lives; how the poor choices of my past deeply affected my life and his. I shared some “truth” with him he wouldn’t have been able to handle years earlier. Painful for us both.
When Monday morning rolled around, my son asked the teacher if he could say a few words to the class (he attended a Christian school and was the class chaplain). He offered his apologies to them, asked for their forgiveness and told them he wanted to live pure before his God. I had no idea this occurred until talking to his teacher weeks later and he happened to mention it to me.
Indeed, my son stood tall in God’s eyes in that moment because he was willing to bend to repentance and to the authority of his God. He’s in college now. I couldn’t be more proud of the leadership roll he’s taken in the dorm and in other aspects on campus.
I thank God for that teachable moment…one of hundreds that have been chronicled in my heart and through my pen.
Becoming a “can-do” mom is most effectively facilitated by a heart that is willing to be taught by the doings of our kids. I firmly believe they end up being our teachers in the end if we are willing to bend.
peace~elaine
[email protected]
Hello,
Thank you for your story today. My prayer for this year is that I teach my 5 yr. daughter how to become closer to God and to understand all that is does for us. I struggle with this, I don’t the bible as I should but I’m committed to making a difference this year.
Thank you for introducing me to Deuteronomy 6:5-7, I can’t wait to share it with my husband tonight on the way to church. I’m going to type it up and hang it on our fridge as a daily reminder.
I have twin girls that are almost three. I have really been trying to show my faith to them. During our morning drive to daycare, I will comment on the sunrise and thank Jesus for sunshine. Recently, one of the twins commented that the sunshine was coming and the other followed with a “thank you Jesus for sunshine” which really touched my heart. On our drive we also pray for each of our family members to have a good day. I am trying and I think they are getting some of it.
Joni Moore
[email protected]
Renee,
Thank you for sharing your moment of parenting triumph! It sounds like a lot of us today needed to hear it. I am the mother of 15yr and 5yr old daughters. One would think with the large age gap I wouldn’t have to face the typical rivalries and comparisons that most moms deal with…one would THINK that, but oh not so! I’m afraid sometimes it just exacerbates things 🙂 This 5th yr with my youngest has been the most challenging for me– and yes we get a heavy dose of the “I can’ts”. Through lots of prayer, patience and perseverance we are overcoming most of the problems. We read from the Bible together for 15 minutes each evening before bedtime and then usually fit in a “Key’s for Kids” devo (which I highly recommend!) after that. I love how often the verses or devo we read “just happen” to apply to the days situations — I mean way more than just a coincidence! And the spiritual growth and awareness I am seeing develop in my youngest is usually enough to keep me from getting discouraged. It also helps a lot that her older sister is a beautiful example of what 10yrs of maturing will bring about. And I also am reminded daily how quickly this “season” of her life will pass…I will blink and she’ll be in High School – Lord help me! Thank you again for your encouraging posts!
I have witnessed fear hold myself back, and then my children. God does not give us a spirit of fear. Thanks
Renee,
Thanks for your encouragement. I too have had to deal with the “can’t do’s” from my 6 year old. He is very reluctant to try new things on his own. Before he stared Kindergarten this past fall we memorized a Bible that would help him be brave…”the Lord is on my side, I shall not fear”. Leading up to the big day when I dropped him off in his new classroom and left him we went back to that verse with each nervous question or each anxious comment. Those were the last words I tearfully whispered to him as he walked into his classroom that first day. He walked in bravely, said “Bye Mom” and didn’t look back. Now, of course, there are many more milestones ahead of us but that little verse helped my little guy walk through a BIG one!
Thanks for letting me share my story! Now I’m off to pick him up from Kindergarten!
Blessings,
Alesha Moreno
[email protected]
Just read your devotion on being a CAN-DO KID. I loved it. My boys are grown and out of the house, but I can still apply the principles when I talk with them. I can speak to them and treat them like Gideon – a mighty man of God – even though they are not YET! I don’t want to look at them with disappointment; I want to look at them seeing their potential.
I can also apply the truths to myself. I am a CAN-DO KID because I’m God’s child.
Thanks for sharing. You made me really think today!
Love you,
E.B.
Thank you for your article. It is very timely. I am a homeschooling mother of 3 and God has been working on my mouth and the things I say to people, especially my children. He has been working on this in me for a while, but in earnest since Monday!! It is awesome how God works all things together to walk us step-by-step to be more like Christ! 😉 It is especially wonderful when He puts something on your heart, you are obedient and then He confirms it through an article, devotion or in some other way right after you are obedient! Just this morning I encouraged my 3 year old daughter to clean the breakfast table. She is the youngest and I think she tends to feel like she can’t do much since her older brother and sister go off and play baseball together, etc. So, to read your article after that was like a kiss from God and like He picked up my hand to walk me the next step!
I hope your day is blessed.
In Christ’s Love,
Carolyn McNabb
I love both of these posts because instilling faith through daily teachable moments and regular routines is just what we’re trying to do! This may be basic to everyone else, but it was definitely an ‘aha’ moment when I got this. I have my regular devotion time in the morning, so now we have a short devotional time with our three-year-old each evening at bedtime. My husband and I are trying to learn more scripture, so we’re going to start our own little family program to encourage each other to learn more verses at dinnertime each evening. We look for ways that we can help other people and talk about how that makes God happy. Our daughter loves reading her Bible book, as she calls it, and loves church, too. We recently started a Bible study for Mommies where we’re talking about just these sorts of things – about how to instill faith into our children – and I’ve learned a lot from there.
My 83 year old mother has adopted and modified the Home Depot slogan. The advertisements for the Home Depot say, “You can do it. We can help.” My Mom tells herself, “You can do it. HE can help.” As she faces the challenges that growing older brings, she places her trust in the Lord and knows her strength comes from Him.
In the summer, my teenage son and I try to walk early every morning. On our walks we try and look for ways to see God and use these as teachable moments. I remember one day we were approaching a stoplight and I used it to remind him that sometimes God gives direction by saying Go, Stop or slow down and wait a while. Other days it would be as simple as seeing a flower and talking about our prayers rising as a sweet smelling fragrance to the Lord. A tree would lead to a discussion of having our roots grow deep in His Word. Little cracks in the sidewalk would introduce a discussion on our lives being ‘cracked’ and God forgiving sin and using our cracks to let His light shine forth.
I found it got more of a challenge to find teachable moments as my son got older, but they are still there if we’re looking and asking the Lord to help us see them.
Just yesterday as our young, new neighbour was scrapping ice off her car to leave for work, my son and I discussed how we could try and get ready ten minutes earlier so we could do that for her. As we talked about this, I shared with my son that, even thinking that idea was God. He put that desire on our hearts. That was God speaking.
Keeping my heart open to more teachable moments,
Joy
Dear Renee!
Thank you for your post! I can’t even tell you how much it spoke to my heart. Just that fact that there is someone else out there who has a son who has anxiety just helped me know that I’m not alone.
My son is 11. He’s tender. Which I think will be an asset to him in life. However, it also makes him more succeptible to pain and anxiety. He had a rough start at school this year. Anxiety attacks and lots of tears. It was a very difficult time but I saw his faith grow and for me, who had previously wondered if he’d ever choose to follow Christ, this was a wonderful thing to happen as a result of the trial he was going through.
After a vacation from school, the anxiety has started again and we (my husband and I ) continue to remind him how GREAT God was in the same situation 3 months ago. He tends to want to sit and mope and share all the bad things going on in his little life right now. We’ve encouraged him to think about the positive things
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
It has been a very difficult season for our family. Both my mom and my husband’s dad spent Christmas in the hospital. I am an emotional wreck and clinging to the Lord. I can’t pray without weeping and although I’d like to shield my kids from this hard part of life, they learn in the process that while we go through difficult times, we cling to GOD and GOD ALONE. And His grace will be sufficient for our every breath.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for sharing your heart. I felt as if it was from God to me!
Happy New Year!
Carol
[email protected]
Thank you Renee for your wisdom in your journey of parenting.
I find myself,batteling the strength to continue to repeat the promise that has been told to me to tell my children. I feel as though I say the same thing over and over, and over; but then I am reminded that no one is going to love my children as I do, therefore I need to be consistent in what I say.
God’s word is not there for me to read one time, it is a lifetime process…so I shouldn’t expect my children to get it one time and then..poof! They are all fixed.
One setback in our home is grumbling and complaining. I get so sick and tired of it it makes me want to scream! We have discussed the Isrealites and thier complaining and how they did not move forward. We have hung Philippians 2:14 (Do everything without complaining or arguing NIV) on the refigerator until we knew that we knew it. So when we are in the store I can say, Emily are you grumbling and complaining?
But sometimes saying the verse doesn’t ring in thier ears as I had planned. So now when the heat needs to be turned down, we turn up in song. For instance, if we are cleaning up the house and there is ALOT of you know what goign in…I have my kids start to sing “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice…” It has been very effective in turning bad attitudes around. My kids go from thinking selfishly to singing to the Lord.
One of the challenges I face is having time with each child alone. It seems often questions come up when both kids are with me (often in the car), but they aren’t both asking a question. It is sometimes hard to present age appropriate information with children who are not on the same developmental level at the same time! Thanks for the encouragement.