Sometimes when you’ve done something over and over for years it becomes routine. Worship can be like that. Even going to church can become routine. And although I’ve always enjoyed our family worship times… sometimes it can feel dull – routine – commonplace.
This evening was not like that.
It began like most evenings. We were busy. Too busy really. I was preparing to leave for the weekend – for a weekend women’s retreat five hours from my home. I’d spent the day doing working on A Virtuous Woman – preparing ahead, knowing I would be gone and that I wouldn’t have time to get things done online for the next four days. And I like to make sure everything is scheduled and ready to go.
I had to do a couple loads of laundry, because despite my best intentions, some weeks just go awry and laundry piles up. Okay so it happens a lot. And then I had to make a run to the feed store to pick up medication for our injured horse. Then I had to trailer the horse back over to the pasture where she lives because she just couldn’t live in my front yard any more. Not with us being gone for the weekend!
For supper I set up a “pizza bar” with all the trimmings for the kids to make and bake their own pizzas, all the while in the back of my mind I was thinking about the fact that I needed to get two more articles written before I went to bed, clean the house because my son’s girlfriend was coming for the weekend and I wouldn’t be home to welcome her and make sure things were done.
I was feeling a little stressed.
And then my husband called us all into the living room for worship.
Family Worship
In my heart I was hoping we could rush through it so I could get on with all those things I needed to get done. As we waiting for my son {who was taking his time joining us} my husband and I and the girls were chatting and laughing about silly stuff – and then my husband was reading a funny article to us.
James, joined us. My dog Caroline started barking – loudly – because she felt left out and wanted to join us in the living room, but she’s not allowed.
So James left to take her somewhere else in the house where she couldn’t disturb us.
And we continued to laugh and chat. And it was pleasant and I felt myself relaxing and just enjoying my sweet family. James returned and we commenced with worship.
Anyway, so the children {now ranging in age from 11 – 23} all had their assignments for the evening’s worship. Emily led us in songs. Hannah had a compiled a list of Bible trivia questions to try and stump us with – my husband {since he’s a pastor} had to give us a 30 second head start before he could blurt out the answer. Then Sarah had the opening prayer.
James stood in the middle of the room. I made a quip about how he looked like he was about to preach to us. He’d been given the responsibility of choosing the evening’s devotion/Scripture reading. He made this sweet introduction about how important prayer was and how he wanted us to all kneel together to pray. He asked us to kneel in a circle and then one by one we would all say two things that we were thankful for and at least one prayer request.
I was very moved by his “speech” and told him I thought he’d missed his calling. Emily began. James ended. Laura was supposed to have closing prayer, but that’s okay. There is always next time.
There was nothing particularly unusual about the worship. We’ve knelt together many, many times to pray. But usually the girls are shy and don’t want to pray out loud – and honestly, being an introvert myself I can totally sympathize.
Maybe it was the fact that their big brother was leading and they didn’t want to disappoint him. Or maybe they didn’t want to be anything but agreeable. It was so sweet to hear each one name things they were thankful for and make known their petitions to our Creator.
It filled my heart with the sweetest kind of JOY.
There is nothing in this world I want more than to see my children walk in the Spirit and see the Kingdom of Heaven. I want to meet Jesus face to face, my family at my side – every one of them. Nothing in this world is more important than that.
And you know what? For the first time in her entire life my daughter Hannah, {13} who has always been incredibly shy, prayed out loud with her family. And it was beautiful. No one made a big deal about the fact that she prayed. I mean, we’ve never even been able to encourage her to take her turn praying at meal time. But tonight she prayed a sweet prayer and gave thanks for things that meant something to her and asked God to protect me as I traveled this weekend.
Listening to each of my children talk to the Savior was a precious thing. Knowing that we can serve our Father in Heaven together is such a blessing and I am so grateful for this night.
I’ve said it many times that family worship bring families closer together and closer to their Savior and I was reminded again tonight how true that statement is.
Do you have a sweet memory of family worship?
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