As a parent, one of my greatest desires is to see my kids form their own personal relationship with Jesus and begin to walk in His love and life for themselves. I have high and lofty goals on how to assist Jesus in making this happen: daily devotionals and Bible studies, constant prayer, doing all the extra ideas given on their children’s church parent letters, being a perfect example, etc. …and then life happens! I get distracted, busy, exhausted and give up on achieving the perfection that has not been sustainable for me and my young family… yet.

So here are a few ways I am hoping I can interact with my children and Jesus. Maybe you will find a couple that work for your family too.

1. Draw/Color together- my kids love to color and they love to invite me to join in the fun.  One way to bring Jesus into your interaction is to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to each of you and then take a minute (really, 30 seconds to 1 minute is plenty) to listen. Then each of you draw what God showed you and talk about it. It may be a simple heart or their favorite animal, or you may be surprised to find the depth that is there.
2. Worship together- pop in a worship cd or DVD and dance, dance, dance! If you are looking for encouragement and want to feel good about yourself, keep this activity to younger kids, but if you brave and open to possible ridicule, but also a lot of laughs, bring on the 10-16 year-olds!
3. Pray together- not just at meals and bedtime, but when you notice they are worried, hurt, upset, or disappointed.  Try and make talking to Jesus as normal to them as asking you for one of the thousand things they request on a daily basis.
4. Talk, talk, talk- this one may seem easy, but sometimes the last thing I want to do is talk more or listen more! But if you can remember to be intentional about including Jesus in your daily conversations, He will show up! It could be as simple as asking your child if they have a question about a something you have come across in a book, song, or movie. Their little minds never seem to really stop, so my guess is they are wondering about something even now.
5. Quiet Time- this one is a bit more in-depth, but if you are ready to take the next step, you can encourage your kids to have some alone time Jesus, maybe even at the same time you do. I have never personally tried this, but a friend of mine recently shared her experience. Her 4-year-old wanted some worship music on in her room so she could meet with Jesus (I promise, none of my children have ever said this to me). Later, her daughter opened up her little notebook and began to share her drawings of the things Jesus had shown her during her worship time. I was floored! 

I hope this little blog encourages you to find what works for you and yours. I promise you that Jesus still feels the way He did when he said in Mark 10:14, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”