this week, we learned about the tabernacle. how everything in the courtyard, the inner and outer room of the holy of holies, mean something. all of it pointing to the Israelites’ “uncleanliness” and the need for a perfect lamb to make them clean.  without much explanation from me, my 7 year old son saw and understood why Christ was/is called the perfect lamb.

*a moment of pause*

son: but i thought Jesus was our shepherd? and He’s the lamb too?

me: He is both our shepherd and lamb.

son: oh, i know why.. because He is both God and man. 

we are going through Catherine Vos’ Children’s Bible for morning time. we read through Genesis together for months. my son’s questions and opinions added a different perspective to my understanding. just reading it with him made it more personal. all in all, it gave me a better picture of the lives of the patriarchs; their imperfections, humanity and faith. it gave me a better understanding of the covenant between God and Abraham, and a better understanding of the phrase “it was credited to him (Abraham) as righteousness”.  

we don’t use any lesson plan or guide. we simply read directly from the Word. son narrates back what he read, we discuss further if he has questions, and he ends with a simple journal entry or draws about it in his timeline binder. we prefer doing it this way than choosing ‘programs’ or devotions that focus on “character building”. i’d rather let the “God-breathed” Word teach, rebuke, and train (2 Tim 3:16) even at an early age. i’m not so sure why i steer away from “character building” books or some religious programs/books for kids. maybe it’s because some tend to water down scripture to make it more “fun”. another reason may be that it brings up memories of not being able to measure up, which leads to guilt. or maybe i’m just uncomfortable with the idea of working towards a particular trait, making it seem like these traits are the end-all of faith.

of course, there is room for character building. we have been implementing habit training since day 1. i just don’t like directly correlating it with faith. 

 “let the children come to Me.” Christ said.

 He didn’t say, “come to me perfect.”

ultimately, i pray that my children’s faith be rooted in Him than on their own “goodness” or lack of. i pray that their roots deepen in His soil, that kindness, patience, obedience blossom forth, and that goodness be an overflow of their faith.

Dei Gratia.