Editorials and columns
Sep 28, 2024
Dave Myers
Everyday Faith
And, just like that, here it is: that nip in the air that escorts fall in.
This is my absolute favorite time of the year — a comfortable, ripped-out pair of blue jeans with a sweatshirt, a baseball hat, and flip flops — perfect! Football has kicked off, bow season is about to start, the salmon are starting to come into the rivers, a trip to the apple orchard, and we are about a week away from the colors fully turning here in northern Michigan.
Seeing the bright oranges intermixed with the crimson reds and golden yellows is God just showing off this time of year as we look across the vast farm fields of our area. That canopy is just there to remind all of us who made this beautiful land we live in.
With all of those favorites happening at one time, it reminds me how important it is to get outside with our kids at this time of year.
My kids are all raised and on their own now, but I always loved having the kids by my side in the fall. Getting out to hunt, fish, or go for a hike together was absolutely priceless, and, if you are raising kids, I would encourage you to seize every moment you can to get outdoors with your kids this fall, too.
But the reason for doing so isn’t just to soak in or enjoy the last beautiful days before winter is upon is.
It’s the perfect season to naturally disciple your kids.
“Well, how is that?,” you might ask.
First of all, let’s simply remember that discipling children isn’t the church’s responsibility. It’s the parents’.
There are just so many lessons to learn being out in God’s great creation.
Looking at the array of colors is an easy opportunity to share God’s intricate design that he set in motion in his creation. Sitting quietly together in a bow stand is an opportunity to later on discuss the privilege of being able to listen to God in the quietness of the woods and have him speak softly into our hearts. Casting into a deep pool in a river is an opportunity to share about God’s cycle of life — one generation swimming upstream with all they have to ensure that the younger generation is given the opportunity to grow, learn, and go out into the depths until it’s their turn to do the same.
The lessons are endless, but the act of going together needs to be intentional and consistent.
You only have your kids for a little while, and then they’ll be gone, just like mine are, in the blink of an eye.
A core principle in that intentional type of discipleship comes from the idea that, if you want to be able to talk with your kids about big things later on, you have to be able to talk about little things along the way.
If you don’t take the time to share life together in its simplest of pleasures, you aren’t going to have the opportunity to talk about the big issues that may challenge your kids’ faith later on.
In many circumstances, parents struggle with having conversations of faith. They know it’s important, but they just don’t always know what to say or what to do.
That’s why this time of year is such a wonderful opportunity.
It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just grab a kid or two and let them tag along with you. The dashboard time you share traveling to and from your adventures is a blessing.
Engage them while you drive. Play the alphabet game, or share memories you might have from when you were a kid.
And don’t forget the food or snacks. No good adventure ever happens without a good snack. You can pack it yourself or make it a tradition to stop somewhere special.
Stopping at a party store to buy glass pops was always a family favorite for us. There’s just something different, better, and special about a pop that comes out of a glass bottle!
Being together for a big adventure, though, is fun and exciting for everyone. Having the kids right by your side when you or they shoot a deer, catch a salmon, or listen to a pack of coyotes sound off as the sun goes down while hiking through a thicket of pines will always provide memories for a lifetime.
I just don’t know how a parent could truly ask for a better opportunity to disciple their kids.
The kids can be kids, adventure can abound, and placing yourself in the middle of God’s creation just cleans the debris of our cluttered days away and provides opportunity after opportunity to see God’s majesty all around us, while at the same time providing a pathway to rich conversations regarding biblical principles.
Don’t be selfish with your outdoors time.
If you have kids, this is a wonderful time of year to generously give of your time, to show your kids how much you love them, with no big expectations or results required from them.
Just enjoy creation together and be willing to point them to the maker of it all.
“In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands made the dry land.” — Psalm 95: 4-5 (ESV)
Comments