by Axxa Olvera de Rodriguez
Degree in Computing, Mexico
Some years ago, God gave me the joy of becoming the mother of a beautiful baby girl. This was something totally new for me, for as a first-time mother I had no experief'lce. Although my heart over flowed with joy and my heart burst with happiness, I also understood that I faced a tremendous challenge. Only time and eternity would reveal the outcome of my efforts.
As my princess grew, so did my care and concern for her education. The promise of Proverbs 22:6 resounded continuously in my mind. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." (KJV)
My greatest desire was that my daughter would never stray from God's path, and I decided to do all I could to achieve that desire. I knew great effort was required of me, and, with God's help, I would do it. I began praying continuously for her salvation. As I prayed, the anguish that was weighing on my heart was replaced with plans for action. In the end, each soul belongs to God, and our responsibility as parents is to seek salvation for our children, the great treasure He has entrusted to us.
One of the first things I decided to do was to make the Sabbath a special day. My husband and I devised new ways to make this day the most wonderful day of the week. We read books among them "Child Guidance," and through fasting and prayer, my desire started to become a reality. My daily prayer has become, "Lord, give me wisdom to raise my daughter. Give me your grace. Help me to overcome the temptations of the enemy. Grant that my little daughter may love your Sabbath days, that she may enjoy Your company, and that the Sabbath may be pleasant for her."
Each Friday morning when she awakes, I tell her, "Daughter, our special day begins today" With a smile on her tender face, she replies, "Mom, I love special days" Her expression makes my heart swell with emotion, and so I want to share with you why our little 4-year-old daughter began to say this.
After we tell her that the special day is coming, she jumps into action since she already knows what her tasks are. We have a special toilet cover, bed sheets, and a quilt she loves, that are all set aside just for special days. Early every Friday, she happily puts the new bedsheets on her bed, and without having to remind her, she puts her dolls away in their beds. As she does so, she tells them, "You have to stay here and be quiet because tomorrow is not a day for playing. The special day is going to begin soon!" Then, she arranges her shoes, then picks out the ones she will wear to church and cleans them with her daddy. Finally, she picks out one of the beautiful princess dresses she has been given for Sabbaths.
And this is the idea. Besides celebrating Friday as a special day of preparation, my daughter also knows that Sabbath is a day to enjoy.
Our small local church has only five adult members but no children. At first it was difficult for my little girl to be the only child there. However, the brothers and sisters of our congregation have been kind enough to give her small responsibilities. She works with her Sabbath School teacher and teaches the children's lesson to the adults every other Sabbath. This has encouraged her greatly. She also collaborates with the music leader and prepares a song during the week to sing on Sabbath.
"Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee." (Deuteronomy 5:12)
Unfortunately, for many children, the Sabbath is a boring day. They are ordered to sit in pews and listen to adults say many things they may not understand. As parents, it is our responsibility to make it easy for our children to love God and be happy on His Sabbath day. To do this, we must come down to their level and "put ourselves in their shoes" in order to understand that long speeches, sermons, and even youth meetings of three or four hours are monotonous and tiresome for them. Instead, let us show them the beautiful things of God in nature, let us make Bible learning a joy, and let us make special foods for the Lord's Day that are different from the regular ones eaten during the rest of the week. "Especially in families where there are children, it is good on the Sabbath to provide something that will be regarded as a treat, something the family does not have every day." Counsels for the Church, page 226.
Here are some suggestions to help make Sabbaths a special day for our children:
- Begin Sabbath preparations from the first day of the week (Sunday) so that Fridays are not so tiring.
- Try to purchase special shoes and clothing that will be worn only on Sabbaths. If this is not possible, allow your children to choose their best clothing to wear to church.
- On Fridays, make it a habit for them to put away their toys and schoolbooks.
- Keep books with Bible stories for them to read, color, and use on Sabbaths.
- Prepare a special meal.(In my case, I allow my daughter to choose it.)
- If possible, spend a part of each Sabbath in nature.
- Prepare a special presentation for church each Sabbath.
- In our case, as it is my husband who preaches each Sab bath, he tries to make his sermon interesting for children too so that my daughter can understand. •
