almost every morning before they leave for school, i read to my kids. this tradition started long ago.
when maddie and isaac were little, and i was homeschooling them, we read through more than one Bible story book, a chapter or two each morning.
when i was teaching at school, i read a poem or two aloud at the beginning of every day.
these past two years, i read a verse and a short writing about it (a devotion), or a passage of scripture, or a chapter from a book, while the kids are eating breakfast.
ben knows that i do this, and, as leaves for work just before six every morning, he has found a way to be part of our morning readings. he sits with his Bible and a notebook while he eats his breakfast, and writes down a Bible reference and a few paragraphs of his thoughts about the verse or passage. then, while the kids and i are eating breakfast, we read ben's morning words.
this morning, i added a book for advent. {i know, i got off to a bit of a late start, but the words will still be on the page, and we will catch up before christmas day arrives.}
as i picked up the book and told the kids that i was going to start reading it, isaac said, "you really like to read, mom." i replied, "yes. i really do," but i didn't know if he meant that in a sort of teasing way, like i read to them too much . . . before i could think that for too long, he said, "and i really like to listen." "so we are a good pair," i said. "what about you, maddie?" i asked. "do you like to read or listen?" she just shrugged her shoulders. and, as i opened the jesse tree, i started to wonder if i was slowly losing her as a wonder-filled listener.
but, i read the introduction. and i read the first lesson, about God creating the world, and placing adam and eve in the garden. and the choice that caused adam and eve to be expelled from the garden. just then, maddie broke in, "do you think the garden still exists somewhere?" and we talked about that for a bit. about how the garden may have been destroyed in the great flood. about how many of the rivers that used to flow in the middle east have long since dried up, that the place the garden was may be buried under a desert. i continued to read, and one paragraph later, the boy in the book asks, "so what happened to the garden?" and we all three laughed, because the author anticipated that a kid would ask what happened to the garden, just like maddie had done. when i closed the book, i could tell that we are all looking forward to me reading the next chapter aloud, tomorrow, over breakfast.