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Kristen Anne Glover

Five in Tow

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When Is Your Child Old Enough to Read the Real Bible?

Reading his first real Bible

Micah reading his first real Bible

(Spoiler: he might be ready for the Bible sooner than you think)

Last year, the kids and I embarked on a journey to read through the Bible in a year. It was a daunting undertaking, especially on January first, when we were staring down the entire Pentateuch, a handful of minor prophets, and the oddities of the book of Revelation.

Prior to this, our family devotions consisted of a much shorter Bible reading, especially when Jeff wasn’t home. I tended to play to the lowest common denominator: my youngest kids. We read Bible story books, memorized verses put to children’s music, and went over the same “big stories” over and over and over again.

David killed Goliath every couple of months at our house.

At some point, I realized we were making a critical error. My kids knew the Bible stories, but they were not reading THE Bible. They knew the tales publishers thought were interesting enough to include in a children’s Bible-the ones that could be easily illustrated or colorfully told. But when the only thing my children knew of Kind David is that he nailed a giant, and all of Revelation was boiled down to, “I’ll be back,” something had to change.

I wanted my children to fall in love with the Word of God, not a stylized, dumbed-down version of the Word of God. As good and useful as children’s story book Bibles are for littles (and they are, don’t get me wrong), there comes a point when it’s time to take away the pop gun and give those kids the Sword.

The trouble was, my kids were used to the pretty-picture Bibles, and they liked them. Their biblical attention span was exactly what the Bible story books gave them: five minutes or less. Their vocabulary was similarly challenged. And really, all they wanted to do was look at the pictures.

Story Bible

The real Bible has tough competition against our favorite story Bible–look at those illustrations!

When it came time to read an actual chapter from the actual Bible, my kids got squirmy. They didn’t know where to find Romans and there weren’t any pictures and the sound of it was all so…plain.

In my home, where we value the Word of God, my kids had learned that the real Bible was boring, difficult, and only to be used in church. Without even realizing it, I was teaching them the idea every night when I hauled out the color-saturated children’s story Bible instead of the real thing when they were old enough to see and hear and touch the real thing.

Now, I know they were old enough  because when I was their age, I began reading the Bible on my own. At that time in my life, I spent weekdays at a boarding school, only coming home on the weekends or for school holidays. As part of our daily routine, my dorm parents set aside time for personal devotions. Each of us kids was expected to sit quietly and read our Bibles for a short amount of time each day. No one looked over our shoulders and explained the big words. No one told us to skip over the parts about “begetting” or circumcision or any of the racy stuff about adultery. We just read it, our little brains dismissing the stuff that was too mature for us and absorbing everything else.

And do you know what? There was a lot my seven-year-old brain could absorb. I did not get bored or frustrated by the big words. Quite the opposite: I fell in love with the Bible when I was given the chance.

I was in second grade—the very same age my twins are now.

Bibles

The well-worn story Bible…and the others

That discipline I developed in second grade became a life-long habit.

But six or seven seems so young when the six or seven-year-old is your child, and not yourself. I wasn’t sure my kids could handle reading the real Bible every day, especially the entire real Bible (because whoa, there are some parts I’d rather skip. Having Sex Ed right in the middle of family devotions is…awkward).

We did it anyway. My mother-in-law told me about a one-year audio Bible, so every night after dinner, we got out our Bibles and read along to the day’s audio reading. (Because mamas, you all know that the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is read three chapters of anything out loud to your children).

When Jeff deployed at the end of January, he was able to follow along with our Bible reading way over on the other side of the world, and we could all talk about what we were learning, just as if he was right here with us.

We didn’t do it perfectly. Some days, we missed. Some days, we chewed the Word a little more slowly. But mostly, we did it.

Still, I was worried I was pushing the kids too hard. Maybe we were reading too much each day? Was anything sinking in?

Boy and Bible

A boy and his Bible embarking on a life-long journey together (by the grace of God)

Then amazing things began to happen. My kids began to beg for our Bible reading each day. If we missed, they were genuinely disappointed and wouldn’t let me miss twice. Their questions became more insightful as their love of the Word grew. They began to connect the dots.

Then, a genuine miracle occurred: I bought the twins their first real Bibles for Christmas this year because their reading was finally up to the level where they could try to read it on their own. We began a new year of Bible reading as a family.

But the boys aren’t content to stop with the day’s reading. They snuggle on the couches with their Bibles, reading through Genesis on their own. “Did you read about Cain and Able yet, Paul?” Micah calls from his couch. “Oh, yeah! I’m waaaaay past that. Where are you at?” Paul responds.

Yesterday, they proudly told me they have read up to chapter 13 (although Micah insists Paul skipped chapters 9-11, an accusation Paul adamantly denies).

Let the reader understand: reading is agonizing for these boys. But the Bible has so captivated them, they cannot put it down. My sweet, dyslexic twins are reading their way through Genesis—the real Genesis—one slow word at a time, because they have fallen in love with it.

Can we all just stop and praise Jesus right now?  Because my heart is full to bursting.

Micah and the Bible

I can’t take the credit—God’s Word is living and active, and it is living and active even in the hearts of the very young. In my own home, God is giving me the privilege to see the power in the inspired Word of God, a power that cannot be replicated, no matter how charming the storybook version might be.

It. is. awe-full.

If you have been wondering what age would be appropriate to begin reading the real Bible with your child, let me encourage you: it might be earlier than you think.  It might be now.

Faith, Parenting 7 Comments

{7} Ephesians 2:13

Ephesians 2:13,19

Day 7 of 31 Days: From Enemy to Heir

To find the beginning of the story, click here.

Every seventh day during the 31 Days challenge, we will take a Sabbath rest from the story and turn our eyes back to the Scriptures from which it was shamelessly plagiarized.  It is my desire that we take these days to think about and pray over the passages I have highlighted.  If you are reading this series to your children, read these passages too.  You might be amazed at how well your children put the pieces together!

My kids, who have started to expect a new chapter as part of their bedtime routine (they get the privileged of hearing it before all of you), were a little disappointed that today’s “chapter” was just a verse.

Then they read Ephesians 2:13 and 19.

“Wow, Mom,” Jonathan said.  “That is just perfect for our story!”

Yes, it is.  He will learn what plagiarism means later.  For now, it is enough that he knows that his mom did not just make this story up.  God wrote it first.

If you have some time today, you might also want to compare the story with what you know about salvation.  Here are some questions to get you started:

1) In what ways are you like Obscurity?

2) Why was the Enchanter described as beautiful, but the prince as plain?  Can you think of some Scriptures to back up your answer?

3) How does the prince fit your understanding of Jesus?

4) From Enemy to Heir is the story of salvation, and beyond.  Have you felt Jesus calling for you to come?  How have you responded?  If you have not accepted His invitation, why are you resisting?  What fears do you have that keep you from running into His arms?

5) If you have been rescued by the Prince, tell someone.  Read this series with your children or with a friend and tell them about the One who saved you from a life of obscurity.  Because this is not just any story.  This is your story.

Tell it.

*The story continues tomorrow with Day 8. 

From Enemy to Heir 7 Comments

{5} A Rescuer

31 Days: From Enemy to Heir

Day 5 of our 31 Days series: From Enemy to Heir
Click on the image above to begin at Day 1

Obscurity did not expect to open her eyes again.  She had always feared death until that very moment when she realized it was winning the chase.

That is when she saw the good of it.  She would simply close her eyes and cease to exist.  Where was the fear in that?  The pain would disappear, along with the failure, the torment, and the heartbreak.  She would slip quietly from obscurity into oblivion.

It was a small step to make for someone who had been nearly dead her entire life.

But pain woke her.  Her body screamed.  She was dead.  But she wasn’t.

Slowly, her mind woke to the betrayal.  Where was death?  Where was the oblivion she had been promised?

She had failed.  That was all there was to it.  She had failed to end it all.  Even when she was handed the opportunity, she had messed it up, just like always.

Bitter tears welled up inside her and she groaned because it was not over, it was just worse than ever.

Then a thought came to her, like a whisper in her ear.  There was still a chance she could succeed, and quickly.  Surely there was a sharp rock or a poisonous plant somewhere nearby.  She knew she had the courage to do it, if only she could find the right tool.

Obscurity forced her swollen eyes open to look around, and gasped.

A man was leaning over her.   

He spread his shadow over her while the rising sun, already scorching, burned a halo around his head.  “What has happened to you?  Are you injured?”  His face creased with the weight of concern.

She crouched back, searching her mind to see if she knew him.  She felt that she should, if she could just think.  Something about him seemed so familiar.

The man was dressed like a beggar, but his face, though plain, was not marred like one.  He had none of the brutal marks that came with living in a land of dragons.

I should know him.  I should know him, her mind insisted.  But it could not come up with the secret.

The Rescuer

“Please, come with me,” he was saying.  “I can help you if you come back with me.”

Those words snapped her back into the present.  “Come back with you where?”  she sputtered.

“To my kingdom,” he said, as if surprised by the question.  “I am the prince.” 

The power of his name threw her back into the shadows and she screamed.  Senseless with panic, she scrambled to get away from him, wishing more than ever that she had not survived the night.

She did not fear death, but she feared life with the prince more than anything in the world.

In all of her worst nightmares, she had never expected to be staring into the face of the one who desired to enslave her.  But here he was, plain-faced and pathetic, sneaking in when she was at her weakest.  It was just like the Enchanter had always said.

He thought he could take her without a fight, she thought.  But Obscurity was nothing if not free, and she had just enough stubborn will left to resist the prince’s powers.

Like a wild, injured animal, Obscurity flung herself at the prince.  But either her injuries had left her weaker than she knew or the prince was stronger than he appeared.

She could not prevail against him.

And he would not be dissuaded from trying to help her.  “You will die if you stay here,” he said, holding her wrists so she could not beat him with her fists.

“What if I do?” she screamed.  “It would be better for me to die!”

“Better if you die?” the prince repeated, softly and sadly.  She did not understand the look on his face.  What did he care if she died?

“What a waste of a precious life,” he said, and she cried out at the words because they stung like slap.

No one had ever spoken to her like that, and it hurt worse than a punch to the face.

Long ago, when her memories where still forming, Obscurity remembered being precious to someone.  But it didn’t last because hers was not a precious life.

She swallowed the aching feeling in her throat.  “Let me go,” she demanded, though she did not expect her captor to comply.

He dropped her arms.

It shocked her so much she did not even think to run.  Truth flashed before her eyes and for the very first time in her life, she began to see through the cracks in the Enchanter’s lies.

He was not a captor at all, but a rescuer.  And she, of all people, needed a rescuer. 

*Join us tomorrow for Day 6!

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I believe you can find grace for the mother you are and help to become the mother you long to be—a mom who has the freedom to choose the better things and enjoy her kids right now.

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