|
I wish there were some way I could slow down time. Not because I'm
afraid of my kids growing up and not because anything I want to do
different. Instead, it's things I want to do more. More moments to just
sit and talk with my kids about what life is really all about. More
time to have the kind of conversations that I know will mean as much to
them as they do to me. It's usually at the end of the day when the
family is asleep and everything is quiet that the thought hits me. "I
need to tell me daughter so and so about boys," or "I need to find time
to talk with my son about that situation with his friend." Then I too
fall asleep. Then the next day brings its usual busy schedule of
"important stuff" and unending noise. I used to find myself frustrated
for never finding the time for those moments. Through some changes in
my own priorities I'm learning that it's not so much about finding the
right moment as so much as it is recognizing when I'm right in the
middle of the moment. God just presents these powerful moments as gifts
between my kids and me and get to walk into to them in order to show my
kids what God has to say about life.
Teachable moments
can be an incredibly powerful tool for communicating with your teen. A
teachable moment is like seeing a neon sign beside the road that
screams for your attention. You can’t help but look, stop, read, think
about it. It’s a snapshot of truth in everyday life. It’s taking
advantage of the culture around you to illuminate truth.
There are countless moments throughout your day where truth is
waiting to be found. That “moment” can happen spontaneously when you
see or hear something that can spark a conversation. The next time you
go to the movies as a family, there is a teachable moment waiting
afterward. When the latest celebrity scandal is plastered across the
headlines, there is a teachable moment. When you have a quiet moment in
the car, be ready. One of my friends, Chelse, said it always seem her
son is ready to talk on the way to school. So instead of thinking about
her upcoming work agenda or daily tasks, she readies herself for what
he might need from her in the form of conversation to start his day.
A special day or event with your teen with planned conversation can
be an opportunity for teaching as well. Recently, a friend of mine took
his seventh grade daughter to lunch. He brought his journal and shared
with her significant moments in their relationship that he had written
about in his journal. Afterward, he took her to a bookstore to buy her
own journal and showed her how to record her own story of God’s work.
Planned but powerful. Maybe for you it is simply a quick walk around
the block together or a time to meet at a coffee shop to share one
thing God has been teaching you.
This revealing moment with
your teen may occur better with a question rather than a statement of
fact from you. A good question can make your teen think about what he
or she believes, is learning, or has experienced. The next time there
is a significant event in your teen’s life take the time to ask, “What
do you think God is trying to show you through this?” It may end up
being a teachable moment for you both. |