Peace

Peace is the fruit of the spirit we are working on this week. Everything I found on how to teach Josiah and Ava Beth about peace was way over their head. All last night I kept praying God would give me some way to give them a true picture of what it meant and then I began to think about myself and how often I struggle to find peace.

I thought about 1 Peter 5:7 ( I have it memorized). Cast all your cares upon Jesus!!! We sang a song in church when I was growing up that went like this.

Cast all your cares
Cast all your cares
Cast all your cares upon Jesus

He is truly able, so just leave them there
Cast all your cares upon him

It's a tune I will never forget! Worry, fear and anxiety are very familiar to me. I find myself saying out-loud when no one is around, "Cast this fear upon Jesus! Cast it and leave it! Don't reel it back in!" When my husband and I go fishing for sand bass, we go when we know they're schooling. It's a total blast! As soon as you cast and the Rat-L-Trap hits the water, you begin to reel it in fast because they jump on the hook faster than lightening! Too often I cast out my fears before God much like I fish. The Holy Spirit constantly reminds me how I have to cast and NOT reel it back in. Cast and leave it. The more I thought about this, the more I began to realize how this constant battle with fear and worry keeps me from experiencing God's supernatural peace He so LONGS for me to have. Then I knew how to explain to my kids the opposite of peace. Sometimes we forget how simple God's instructions are for our life.

This morning's lesson was great. I love how the Holy Spirit comes in and takes over. He does all the work! HE gave me this idea. I asked the kids to share something they were afraid or something they worry about. After they shared, I explained the fishing thing to Josiah because since he has been fishing, I knew he would relate. We talked about 1 Peter 5:7 and Philippians 4:6 that refers to not being anxious about anything. Then we wrote down a fear/worry on a piece of paper. I wrote down something (just between me and God), then Josiah wanted to write down his fear of crashing while riding a bike without training wheels (I was very excited he chose this one because he's very hard headed about those training wheels). Ava Beth wanted to write down how she is afraid to sleep in her bed at night (she always sleeps with Josiah) but she wanted to sleep with her baby dolls in her room all by herself. I was excited because the things they mentioned, are things I pray for them about. I knew they were "getting" it. Thank you Lord!

After writing the fears down on a small note card, we scrunched them up like a piece of trash. Then I prayed a very simple prayer. "Lord, I am holding on to something I am afraid of. But I am throwing it on you and asking you to give me peace instead of fear. With peace, I will be able to ride my bike without training wheels and sleep in my bed at night all by myself." Then we took the piece of paper we had scrunched up into a ball and threw it in the trash! They both took part in the prayer and said out loud what they were giving to God and how they needed peace in return then threw the ball of paper into the trash. It was a GOD MOMENT FOR SURE! We did not have fishing poles to throw out our cast but the paper trick worked great. Josiah wanted to know if God knew what was on the piece of paper. I explained how God knows everything, including the thoughts we have in our head. He knows the fear before we ever write it down or say it out-loud. He knows everything! Josiah thought that was "cool".

Today God helped me paint a picture of what peace truly looks like. He continues to be faithful and blow me away with teaching my children.

Thank you Lord for actively working in my home and speaking to me and my children through your Holy Word! Thank you Jesus!