Family Faith and Fun Fridays: Night Hike

 

 

Welcome to Family Faith and Fun Fridays. As the week winds down and I anticipate more family time over the weekend, I often ask God for one good idea that will enable me to bring the Word to life and bring our family together. Usually, the activity overflows out of something the Lord has been teaching me through His Word during the week. I’d like to invite you to join me and my family in the adventure. Sometimes I’ll post things we’ve tried; other times I’ll post an idea in the works. If you’ve got thoughts to add or suggestions on how to adapt or improve the suggested activity, please don’t hesitate to post a comment. Enjoy!

 

 

Earlier this week, Lizzy asked to take a walk right before bedtime. We grabbed our tennis shoes and headed for the lake trail beyond our neighborhood. As soon as Josh and Hannah spotted us slipping out the door, they raced for their bikes.  I didn’t realize how late it was until we were half a mile from home and the dark was settling in. “We should have brought our flashlights,” Hannah sighed.

“Or our Bibles,” Lizzy teased. Hannah looked confused.  “You know,” Liz explained, “God’s word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path!”

Though we had to cut short our pre-bedtime walk due to the starless sky, I promised that we’d soon  try again with flashlights in hand. After discovering last weekend’s glimpse of glory (see Tuesday’s post), I’m eager to explore the nocturnal world with all the kids on hand. This weekend, won’t you join us in a night hike? Grab the kids, some bug spray, and most definitely some flashlights and enjoy an adventure once the sun goes down. 

As you walk, share Psalm 119:105 with the kids and try these simple activities

to bring the Psalm to life:

1. Have everyone turn off their flashlights and notice how dark it is. Ask, “Can you see five steps in front of you? Ten? Can you see the (fill in the blank with a landmark up ahead) just ahead of us?” Talk about how God’s Word helps us to “see” our next step. If we are worried, what is our next step according to the light of God’s Word? Prayer (Phil 4:6) If we need to make a decision, what is our next step according to the light of God’s Word? Ask for wisdom (James 1:5 ) Give a few examples that will relate to your children’s current needs/concerns. 

 

2.  Turn the flashlights back on and notice that the beam only lights up the next step or two. Can we see for miles with our flashlights? No, we have to keep taking one more step, one more step, until we arrive where we’re going. When we follow God,  we don’t need always know what’s going to happen tomorrow or next year. We just have to follow Him today and take another step of obedience tomorrow. One step at a time we follow God’s plan and He’ll keep showing us what to do NEXT if we keep asking for His help.

 

3.  Take time on the hike to enjoy all the different sounds and sights of the nocturnal world.  Listen for the frogs singing, the crickets screeching, the call of an owl. Talk about how different a tree looks by night than by day.  Ask your kids why they think that God made nighttime.  Discuss how things are hard to see in the dark. The flowers in the field, the bark on the tree, the bugs on the leaves are all difficult to spot in the darkness. But God’s Word says we can’t hide from Him. He can always see us. (Thankfully!) “I could ask the dakness to hide me and the light around me to become night- but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” Psalm 139:11-12