A Day at the Beach

When my oldest child was still very young, another mother counseled me on the importance of getting out of the house (with the children).  She advocated long walks but anything away from home should do it.

With such busy lives, it is difficult to imagine that going out again would be a good idea.  Here’s the catch… when we’re out on a walk or hanging out at the beach there is nothing to do but be together!  There are no phones to answer, no school work to fuss over, no housework, no email – you get the picture.

Yesterday, we met up with another family and spent the day at the beach.  The whole day.  The children took surfboards, sand toys, balls and a picnic lunch and I brought the camera.  The day was spent chatting, laughing, sharing and enjoying one another.

Luke 10:40
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

When Martha had a chance to be with Jesus, she was so caught up in the tasks of the day, she missed the opportunity for the blessing of that time.

Spending the day away from the chores gave the children and I ‘undistracted’ time to enjoy and appreciate each other.

There will always be work to do – God didn’t create us to be idle.  But, carving out time to be involved with our children – time when they are our focus – helps them to understand how important they are to us.

With children ranging in age from seven through 17, it isn’t always easy to find activities that hold everyone’s interest.  Let me tell you, we had all smiles at the beach yesterday. 

One of the reasons we chose to homeschool was because we believe that God wants us to be the primary influence in the lives of our children.  We can’t do that if we’re not involved with them.

Deuteronomy 11:19
And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.

Day in and day out, morning to night, we need to be connecting with our children.  With all of the pressures and obligations crying out for our time, a day at the beach (or a walk or anything that relieves us of distractions) can be the catalyst for gaining new heights in our relationships with our family.

Take advantage of the sun today and set aside the distractions to invest in your children – you’ll be glad you did!