As a young child, I was blessed to have an Aunt Jessie who provided an informal education on God, nature, animals, plant life and the natural world. It was through this Christian woman I learned about how God not only loves us, but He provides for all our needs.
She taught me to read the sky and predict the changing weather. For example, she might say, “Red sky tonight, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning — sailors take warning.” Which meant a heavy rain or storm was coming by morning.
Encouraging me to learn Bible stories, we often played this game. She would ask, “What did you learn about God’s Word today?”
And I was expected to know a new fact or information about the Scriptures. Then she would say, “Go to bed smarter than when you got up that morning.”
Carolyn Tomlin
In an informal setting, such as pulling weeds in the garden, she talked about how we can allow sins (like weeds) in our life to take over what God intended us to be.
Shelling beans, she talked about how the small seed is placed in the garden and God sends the rain and sunshine to make it grow.
Hiking through a gully, we discovered fossils — perhaps hundreds of years old — and she would remind me that God created the world and all in it. There was so much to learn.
She was my teacher; I, her student. It’s something I’ve tried to pass on to my own children and grandchildren.
Introduction to Bible stories stays with me today. For younger children, expect brief answers. As the child grows older, include background information.
Some suggestions include:
- Who were the first people God created? Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26; 2:25)
- Who was Abraham’s wife? Sarah (Genesis 17:15)
- What was the name of their son? Issac (Genesis 17:19)
- Who was Boaz? A wealthy man from Bethlehem who married Ruth. (Ruth 2; 4)
- Who was Ruth? She was a widow, daughter-in-law of Naomi, who married Boaz. (Ruth 1)
- What is sackcloth? A rough cloth, usually made from goats’ hair, worn as a sign of mourning.
- What is the Sabbath? The seventh day of the week; the day set aside for rest and worship. (Exodus 20:8)
- Who was Rebekah? Issac’s wife, the mother of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 24; Genesis 25:19-26)
- Who is our shepherd? The Lord watches over us like a shepherd watches the sheep. (Jeremiah 31:10)
Childhood is such a brief period of time. We as parents must use and find opportunities to teach children Christ-like values and Bible stories in the short period they are children.
You can not go back and create the time of childhood. B&R — Tomlin, of Jackson, writes for numerous Christian publications. She also teaches the Jackson Christian Writers Fellowship. Email: tomlinm@bellsouth.net
