I didn’t recognize it right away, and made light of Banks’ interest in checking the weather by calling him our “family weatherman.” But as time went on I began to realize how his anxiety towards the clouds, wind, and rain was starting to have control over ALL our daily schedules. If the weather was sunny and clear all was well. But if bad weather was in the forecast, our family hopped on a one loop rollercoaster discussing the endless possibilities that the impending weather could bring.
I pleaded with God about how to help him, and I read and reread Philippians 4:6 as Ann Voskamp’s words about thanksgiving and gratitude rolled around and around in my heart and mind:
“To learn how to be grateful and happy, whether hands full or hands empty. That is a secret worth spending a life on learning.” -One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp
Could the solution really be right there? Could it really be that simple? Did this problem not depend on my ability to think of the most creative teaching tool? But, on my willingness to take God at his word and not give in to the the enemy’s distractions?
A New PATH to Peace
When the apostle Paul was in prison he wrote the book of Philippians that states,
“Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray and give thanks to Him. Then, God’s peace, which can never be completely understood, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6 NIrV
That’s it! Pray, Ask, and Thank God about everything, and His true word says, that we will have His peace. While this seems too easy and yet difficult at the same time, I’ve learned over the past few years that this spiritual discipline can be learned by adults and handed down to the children we love through consistent repetition and the power of the Holy Spirit!
These days when Banks sees the lightning bolt on a weather app, our world no longer shuts down. He says, “Let’s PAT” (Pray, Ask, Thank). And I grab my prayer card (like the one below) or pull it up on my phone and we talk to God, over and over and over again until he feels His peace. We started this when he was a pre-reader and have kept the same format, where I begin to say the prayer out loud and he fills in the blanks with his words. When we get to the thankfulness part at the end, he comes up with different things to be thankful for, no matter how many times we pray this!
As the storms rolled in this weekend, Banks was at a neighbor’s house down the road. When it was time for him to come home, I grabbed my phone to send a text to the other mom that I would come and pick him up because it was raining so hard. The boy’s mom, however, said he was already headed our way with an umbrella. Oh no!! I pulled on my rain boots to go search for him, knowing I would find him crying on his way home maybe in a ditch somewhere. But when I opened the front door, this is what I saw….God’s peace staring straight at me.
If this activity could be helpful for your family, click here to download your free printable of the Path to Peace from our Intentional Parent Guide.
Mr. Marc was our next door neighbor and often played songs on his guitar as the boys ran around in the backyard. As part of the Speer Family, he grew up singing gospel music and continues using his gifts to record hymns for CB&J today! These hymns are a timeless way to remind children about the character of Jesus, and we are grateful to be able to share these with you.