Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Start the Tradition Now
Nancy Wilson posted on Sabbath feasting a few days ago. She had a lot of good things to say. Like her, I have heard so many people say it is not for them now. They will wait until their children are older. I cannot stress to you how important it is to start when they are young. I have also heard those with older children say I wish I had started when they were younger. It just seems awkward to them now. Starting traditions when they are younger is definitely easier. I know it is hard to get a nice meal on the table with little ones all around. Believe me I know!! Enlist your husbands help. Put something in the crock pot or a piece of meat in the oven that you do not have to think about until it is done. Ham, whole chickens, and turkeys are good for this. Put a couple of extras in a bag salad and you are on your way to a great meal. Frozen rolls are a huge hit in my house. You only have to put them out a few hours ahead to make sure the thaw and rise and they taste homemade. In my home we only do dessert for our Sabbath feast, so anything is great. I do not have to slave over it. Sometimes it is just ice cream sundaes. Do not make it more stressful than it has to be. Do anything you can ahead of time. If you have a separate dining room, then you can set the table on Friday. If you cannot swing the meal quite yet, at least make sure your children know the specialness of the Sabbath. It is a tradition they will never forget.
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Children thrive on tradition and LOVE it!! We have been doing this for a couple of years. Recently we had an exremely hectic Saturday and it was essential that I spend the day helping my husband outside with some projects that HAD to be completed that day. At 7PM we all came inside to clean up and I had not gone shopping that morning or prepared anything special for dinner. Our 6 boys were disappointed that we were planning on not having a "Sabbath Meal" that evening and volunteered to pitch in. They got out the linen tablecloths, napkins, and nice dishes, my husband cooled a wine and got out the candles, and I set to work boiling hotdogs, making Kraft Mac and Cheese, and opening a couple of bags of chips. We soon were all seated to an unusual candlelight dinner with our usual prelude of gratitude to the Lord, reading, etc and the children were beaming. They absolutely LOVE this family ritual and for them (and us) it is the perfect commencement to the Lord's Day.
This taught me that while I enjoy the prep and making extra special dinners for this occasion, it is not about the "fanciness" of the affair, but the special recognition of what it means, as we prepare our hearts for the worship of our God. Children are never too young to appreciate this.
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