“When You Walk Along the Way” – Travel Time as Discipleship
We live in the age of the Fit Bit, so the idea of walking is not just for those that can’t run anymore… many of us are counting our steps and choosing to walk when we might otherwise have taken the elevator or hopped in the car for an ultrashort trip. So as I mentioned in this post {link}, the family walk is truly an excellent interpretation of this home discipleship mandate.
When our children were babies, my husband and I enjoyed walks after dinner when we could share with each other about what God was doing in our lives (and catch up on much needed connection time too) while enjoying fresh air and exercise. As your children get older, it’s a wonderful opportunity to give them your undivided attention as well and to pour God’s Truth into their hearts and minds. After all, they want your attention and most every child I know loves to go for a walk (or a ride in the wagon) while exploring the outdoors.
But I would be remiss to leave this statement to only this one application. Because the idea of “walk along the way” is really about traveling from places to place. In Biblical times, you walked. Period. Or rode a donkey, I suppose. But we travel in cars primarily. And in those cars we have sound systems. AND in those cars we have a captive audience! So here are ## ways to disciple your child’s heart as you travel:
1) Listen to praise and worship music. It doesn’t get much easier than this. You can listen to the local Christian radio station, or if you or a child is so inclined, build a Spotify station that the whole family can contribute to and then as you play the songs allow family members to explain why they picked the song and how they hear God in it.
2) Work on Scripture memory. There are more tools than I can name for this opportunity. Go old school and tape an index card with a verse onto your dashboard! Or choose a scripture memory tool that incorporates music. Or use an app that challenges your kids with individual scripture memory. But if you have even a 5-minute car ride, you can begin using that time to memorize scripture as a family.
3) God-focused discussion. Especially with older kids, car time is a great time to talk. Ask them to put their phone away and tell you about their day. Be ready to ask good questions and even pray with them. Younger kids benefit from travel time discussion too. Have you ever noticed how they are really thinking in that back seat? They are observing things happening out the window and their gears in their little brains seem to be working overtime to process all of the information they’ve taken in since they woke up that morning (a book they read, a commercial they heard, a comment you made or the sound of a siren passing by). Be patient with your kids in the car whether they are toddlers or teens and God will guide your discussions to point all of you back to him.