Morning Reading

I am typically a procrastinator! But my wife?...not so much. And of the many things she did exceptionally well, she led her young children into the presence of the Lord. As far back as I can recall in our married lives with small children, she invested in them by reading to them in the morning. I don’t remember her doing so in the summertime. But each school day @ 7am, they were perched on our bed and ready to receive. I even recall her videotaping herself (again, in the early morning) before she went in for extended hospital stays so that Carissa, Harrison, and Mallory could see and hear their mother as she revered the Word in the dawn of their day.

And when she died in March of 1998, it was a tradition I simply could not, would not let die with her. My kids were 7, 9 & 11 respectively that spring. And while I’m not sure what we did those last 2 months of that particular school year, I do remember beginning again that fall with the memories of their mother firmly in their minds AND the absolute dependence upon our heavenly Father just as firmly rooted. Becca has asked me to share my thoughts about this ritual in the Dell household. And though I realize our family situation is quite unlike most others, I do believe the tradition had some wonderful value for our life together as a family.

This time typically took about 20 minutes, leading off with a reading from the Bible. We read from all parts it, delving into the nature of God through the traditional OT stories, rich with examples of His character and love for the Israelites. We read from the prophets and the Psalms. We spent months in the gospels and Paul’s letters to the churches. And though I know they did not understand or appreciate all that these words signified to their young (elementary school) lives, I do know they sensed from mom & dad the depth and relevance these eternal words held in ours. They were always stone silent; God was teaching through our posture.

Then we would pray, mostly me, but sometimes one of them. Prayers of thanksgiving for what we had read. Prayers of praise for His nature and His providence. Prayers of petition for those we loved and who needed Him. Again, teachable moments shared between parent and child…daily!

Then we would conclude with a lighter form of reading from a variety of books. In the early years, I remember reading the “Chicken Soup” series, full of homespun wisdom that gave us reason to talk more and discuss things. “The Book of Virtues for Young People” by William Bennett was especially good reading…wisdom literature for young minds. Carissa was especially captivated by “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, and remembers to this day the realities of the heavenly realms being revealed to her through her mother’s voice and C.S. Lewis’ magical stories. As they reached high school, more age-appropriate reading was found. We poured through all 7 “Harry Potter” books, though they still are confounded by my inability to remember every tiny detail. And later, when it was just me and Mallory, we read “Screwtape Letters” and “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom, speaking of eternal mysteries of the unseen world and the fortitude and depth of the human spirit.

These books lie silent on my shelf now, but seeds were deeply planted. And now a great harvest is being reaped as I see and hear from them the books they are inspired to read and are challenged by. Their Bibles do not sit idle. And they see with greater clarity beyond the veil that separates the temporal from the eternal. And best of all, they yearn, even at this relatively young age, for the day when they will sit beside their mother once again, this time in His presence and behold Him in the dawn of eternity. Traditions are rich! May many of yours be those seeking treasure in heaven. (Matt. 6:21)