DADs 1:9 — “God Is Watering Mommy’s Garden”
Yesterday afternoon I took the four youngest kids across the street to the funeral home parking lot—their favorite place to ride their bikes—since our driveway is narrow and steep. A few minutes later it began to rain. Three of the kids asked in succession, without hearing each other, “Daddy, why is it raining?” [They’ve asked this question a thousand times, but it is worth answering a thousand times more!]
“God is watering Mommy’s garden. That’s why it is raining.”
This reminded me of the privilege and responsibility we have as fathers to keep the truth of God and His mighty works before our children at all times, as directed by Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them [the “commands” of God, in this context, but surely more widely applicable to all biblical truth] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” This is a simple example of teaching children about God “when you walk [or ride your bike] by the way.” My simple answer to their question taught them several truths:
- God is the Creator who is in charge of the rain.
- God is good and He cares.
- God faithfully provides for the needs of His creation—even plants.
- By providing rain for the garden He is also providing food for us.
- If the children were older then I could have also talked about common grace—how God provides rain for the just and the unjust, etc.
Dads, let’s not miss out on the simple, daily opportunities we have to point our children to the Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
