Quiet times..... sharing as a family when the going gets tough!

February 2012

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Introduction by Colin

We greatly enjoyed last month's newsletter by Jonathan and Jo Anderton. Because of this we have asked them to explain further what they do in their family.

.....when the going gets tough!

- by the Anderton family

Sometimes it can be hard to find time to do Quiet times let alone the sharing part with the family. However we'd like to encourage you that sharing together as a family can be one of the highlights of the day. We always encourage our children to start the day with their 'walk with God', which they do before they even get out of bed. Even our youngest hops into our bed to start the day like the rest of the family, she doesn't want to be left out. It's good to develop Godly routines and spiritual feeding times!

It's not always been easy, and there have been times when the children haven't wanted to do their devotions. We don't push it, we don't want to let it become a chore or become legalistic. Some advice; be 'quiet' yourself and pray! You see, when this has happened to us in the past, the sharing time is the key . When it comes to us sharing in the evening as a family and they don't have anything to share, they really regret not having done their quiet time. They have to sit and listen and believe us, they'd rather have their time to speak!!

So the family sharing for us has been the key to encouraging us all to keep going even when we don't feel like it. And there's always the sense that God might have something really special to say and so if you don't have that time, how will you ever know? It's often the days we feel least like having a Quiet Time that God does have something amazing to share, if we let Him.

We shared in our last testimony that with our children we started for just 10-15 mins each morning 4 times a week, and now they don't need reminding and do their Quiet time most days.

We started with our children at a very young age, as soon as they could talk. We read approximately 2 pages from a children's Bible, appropriate to their age. We then ask them to tell us what happened using the pictures to prompt, while we write down what they say, which is sometimes very funny. We encourage them to think what God could be teaching them from the story, which again, often causes us to smile!

When they get older and can write words, we use an exercise book; we write the words carefully which they then copy underneath. This is the basis to our homeschooling as they are learning narration, comprehension, reading, writing etc! They often draw amazing (and funny) pictures which they describe during the family sharing times.

We encourage them to say prayers and since this has been done from an early age, they feel confident praying in groups. Our youngest will often go up to a friend who has hurt themselves and pray for them. Our older children will often ask their friends if they can pray for them. We feel this confidence has grown from the family sharing and praying time. They see it as the natural thing to do when someone is hurt or having problems.

The time together sharing our Quiet times can be filled with laughter and fun or 'serious' discussions or amazing prayer times. It encourages us to keep going, and to encourage each other.

For us sharing in the evening straight after dinner is a good time, before we wander off and start anything else. We always try to keep it fairly short so as not to become boring for the younger ones.

If further discussion and prayer time is needed and the youngest is getting fidgety we can finish up, and then continue talking later. This way the children aren't left with a feeling 'its long', or one person 'talks too much', or its 'not interesting anymore'.

We start by opening in a quick prayer. Next, we take it in turns to share our blessing from the previous day. This is so encouraging as we remember the good things from the day before. When someone has another member of the family as their blessing (or something that person has done) it's such a happy positive feeling for that person who is the blessing. It helps us know we aren't taken for granted and gives us time to thank each other and the Lord. If we didn't have this time I doubt we would remember to tell each other what a blessing they are!

We thank God for our blessings by praying short, one sentence prayers (that includes mum and dad!) We then take turns to share our verse and what we feel God is saying to us. This is a great time to encourage but no long lectures or sermons from mum and dad; we are all special and we all need time to share. By doing this we have watched our children grow in confidence, and it never ceases to amaze us how they grow spiritually and what God speaks into their hearts. We learn so much from them! We each pray in turn asking God to help us in what we've had for our Quiet Time (Short prayers again!) Sometimes sharing can be only 10-15 mins, other times a lot longer. We 'go with the flow', but remember if the children are losing concentration, don't let it drag but end on a good note!

We are also greatly encouraged by our sharing times with other families at the Pyle's home. Our children then feel part of a wider group also spending time with God. They are encouraged by the others when they share, which is a great boost for them. Then when they peer over at their friend next to them who may have filled in every day of the weeks 'Quiet time' diary it makes them aspire to do the same.

Be encouraged, we know it's hard at times, but we can see the huge blessing it is in our family already.

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