How is your family faring during this incredibly stressful time? Are you seeing the signs that your children are afraid, but they either don’t know how to express that…or you haven’t given them an open forum to do so? We all desperately need a “safe place” to voice our fears and anxiety and insecurities. And I have a step-by-step plan to help you do exactly that.
The first book I had published was entitled Devotions for Families that Can’t Sit Still, a resource of creative family worship ideas—all actually used by the Williford family. One of the devotions came from the time when Craig was released from a university due to financial exigency. I was devastated. We had no reserves—no significant bank account, no home investment, no money hidden in a mattress! Living paycheck to paycheck was the best we could do back then, and suddenly we had a red-letter date when those paychecks would cease.
I argued with God about all that for a couple days and then realized the life-changing lessons we could all learn from this frightening period in our lives. Would Craig and I demonstrate to our young sons that our faith failed us in tough times? Or would we choose to trust God, pointing out that he was with us…that he would provide what we needed in his timing…and that he loved us especially during this crisis?
The circumstances for this pandemic are unique and unprecedented, but the format for our family worship experience is absolutely appropriate for today’s crisis. I had to scan the pages from the book (this was from 1990, and I have no electronic files!), so it’s not the best copy. But please…use this example from our lives to minister to your family. All those years ago, as we gathered on our living room floor—our lit wedding candle in the middle—we had one of the most memorable and meaningful times together, ever. Parents, get a candle and gather some rocks. Make your own family memory—one that could potentially be life-changing for all of you. And remind yourselves of this: Our God is is sovereign, and he is with us!
