Comments on: Words before meaning

By: Donna E

Donna E — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:30:41 +0000

I just wanted to say that you really touched on a great note here and it puts thought on it out there for all to ponder.Thanks for your words and sharing your thoughts.I too like your phrase “words before meaning” it truely fits here.
Blessings

By: Melissa @ Breath of Life

Melissa @ Breath of Life — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:04:56 +0000

I remember someone observing once that there will never be a time in my daughter’s life that she didn’t know Jesus. How wonderful that made me feel, because I lived the first 27 years of my life without Him. But she’ll always know! Just as L. will always know that Jesus died for Him.

Beautiful, Katrina.

By: Garr

Garr — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:13:40 +0000

Like many of your other observations, masterfully put.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:10:09 +0000

Great post. I used to be a Sunday school teacher and it was always a struggle to find a way to convey complex messages in a way children can understand. And, of course, these messages transform and change as we all grow older.

By: Code Yellow MOm

Code Yellow MOm — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:53:20 +0000

This is such a wonderful post. You articulated it perfectly. I work with the children at our church and have to say that I am amazed at what they grasp, even as small and young as they are…those little seeds of truth sink deep in childlike hearts and I believe it will make all the difference in the world to their lives and who they become. It’s great to teach the words or the idea first, so that when they are older and have a real-life (and often difficult) experience, they know exactly what those words mean and can find hope and consolation in it.

Such a great post.

By: Lisa writes...

Lisa writes... — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:50:53 +0000

Well said. Beautifully said. Oh, the wonder that is the gospel! We can spend an eternity and never mine the depths of its glory, yet it is simple enough even a child can believe. What grace!

By: Jennifer, Snapshot

Jennifer, Snapshot — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:14:31 +0000

Oh — so beautiful!

Amanda was in BSF with me, studying Matthew, when she was only 2. So of course as we reached the end of the book and Jesus’ death, I wondered about that teaching. They always teach what’s in there — trusting God’s word to fall on fertile ears.

So, after that each time we passed a church with a big cross, she’d yell out (probably a bit too cheerily), “Look Mom — Jesus died on the cross!!” So, apparently they focused more on the fact than the meaning as well, but the rest did come later.

By: Trish @ Another Piece of the Puzzle

Trish @ Another Piece of the Puzzle — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:09:16 +0000

Thank you for sharing this. I struggle sometimes with my 7 year old (who has autism) understanding the gospel message, and just have to trust that eventually it will make sense to him. He wants to be God’s child but can’t see that it isn’t dependent on how good he is and whether God is happy with him.

By: Lindsay @ bytesofmemory

Lindsay @ bytesofmemory — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:02:10 +0000

Such a sweet story! L. will grown and learn the meaning. The great thing is that he knows it now.. he doesn’t doubt what is being said and that will give him such an amazing foundation.

By: Jeni

Jeni — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:21:55 +0000

“Words before meaning” is a good way to put it. Our daughter is 2 1/2, and she repeats a very simple bedtime prayer with us every night. “Thank you, God. I love you, God. Night-night, God. Amen.” Right now it doesn’t mean anything to her, beyond repeating after Mama. But I really believe it plants the seeds for future thought and for future original prayers of her own.