For our workshop during the Victorian Camp, the mothers and wives had a session showing some practical ways of connecting with God. Since we feed our relationship with God most effectively when we keep our thoughts uplifted to Him, many of these ways can help us to keep our focus on God through the day. Mothers are often very busy, so even if we can only do one or two things at the moment, it can still help us in our relationship with God. We had various stations where we were challenged to:
- Write down a blessing we have received on a small slip of paper and put it into the Count Your Blessings box. At the end of the year, you empty the box and read the blessings.
- Write out a favourite Bible verse either onto a post-it note or a piece of card. Then put it where you can see it through the day—like in the kitchen where you are cooking.
- Do a journal entry. We were encouraged to record a favourite verse which has helped us through different situations; an experience we have had; or a thanksgiving to God.
- Begin a prayer list. We were encouraged to put names on the prayer list provided.
- Write down a spiritual lesson from nature or from the daily experience; something from nature or a trial we have gone through.
- Take stock. Based upon the verse from 2 Corinthians 13:5, we are encouraged to examine ourselves. So we were encouraged to reflect on our day. Things we feel we could improve upon. Things we think went well. How we can better reach out to others.
- Name a song which has been inspiring to us in our Christian experience.
- Think of ways to share what we have learned or experienced with others.
After completing all the activities, we shared the responses. It was very encouraging to hear the different responses. One of the activities, which was the spiritual lesson from nature or the daily experience, didn’t get shared. So here is one of the responses, giving an example of a spiritual lesson from nature.
“Perfect plants need to be replanted in the big garden so they can grow and bear fruit. If they are left in small pots, they stay seedlings, not growing nor bringing fruit to their full potential. Once we outgrow the place we are in and exhaust all its possibilities, God, the great Gardener, will replant us somewhere else. However, He will not do that if we don’t want to grow to our fill potential; or sometimes He will try to change the soil first, until He gets us to where He wants us, if we will cooperate with that.”
Looking at the spiritual lessons in our day-to-day life reminds me of the method Jesus used in reaching hearts. “The birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the sower and the seed, the shepherd and the sheep—with these Christ illustrated immortal truth. He drew illustrations also from the events of life, facts of experience familiar to the hearers—the leaven, the hid treasure, the pearl, the fishing net, the lost coin, the prodigal son, the houses on the rock and the sand. In His lessons there was something to interest every mind, to appeal to every heart. Thus the daily task, instead of being a mere round of toil, bereft of higher thoughts, was brightened and uplifted by constant reminders of the spiritual and the unseen.”—Education, p. 102.
Overall, I was very blessed by the many encouraging things shared among us.
Deborah Chapman