Been in a shipwreck lately?

Have you been in a shipwreck lately? I mean of course, a figurative shipwreck.

The kids are driving you bonkers… The car needs extensive repairs… Or someone you know received a dire diagnosis…

What can comfort you?

It can be hard, can’t it?

Kids can experience shipwrecks too.

A friend moves out of town… A new school is looming on the horizon… Or there is sibling strife…

What can comfort your kids?

Sure, you’ll be there to give them a hug when needed. But what will they use as comfort inside?

What sort of self-talk will get used, in a shipwreck when you’re not around?

A recent Bible story our kids encountered at Vacation Bible Camp was about Paul in a shipwreck; a literal shipwreck! Read the story in Acts 27. Paul received comfort from God, before, during and after his shipwreck.

Will our kids seek comfort from God in the midst of their shipwrecks?

We hope that they will, but it takes some practice.

God’s word is comforting.

Spend time teaching your children to search for comfort in God’s word – the Bible.

The key is to put God’s word into their long-term-readily-available-brain-storage. (Often known as “learning by heart.” Call it memorization if you must, but perhaps not in front of your kids!) Make this a regular (and fun) activity – at bed time or at dinner time or at breakfast… any time. Just make time.

Why not start with the Bible Buddies – those little plastic characters that the kids receive at VBC. Look at them closely. There’s a Bible verse printed on each one! Tuesday’s verse was:

Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

That’s from Psalm 119:50.
If that seems too complicated, try this version:

When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise.

What can you do to ensure that in your child’s shipwrecks, they turn to God?

For hints on ways to work at verse “memorization” see here and here and (updated) here!

Photo credits:
Shipwreck, by Katherine Hoppe, licensed on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
Heart clip art by rygle, who has waived rights and dedicated the work to the Public Domain.