Unexpected Outcomes

Children are naturally egocentric.  I know this.  But lately my children have seemed especially so, and so I wanted to give a Family Home Evening lesson on Selfishness.

Here was the plan:

Sing "I'm trying to be like Jesus"
Start with a concentration game.  4 pictures of the Savior doing something unselfish, 4 scripture references, and they would match them up. 
Then a role play.  Dad and I acting out a conversation in which one of us is constantly turning the discussion back to himself. tee hee.
Then a discussion on selfishness/wanting the limelight.  Go back to the pictures/stories of Jesus and ask, "selfish or unselfish?" with each one. 
Challenge children to think of others.

Here was the reality:

I obviously planned too long a lesson for children 10 and under.  After the game, which they were pretty attentive during,  they were poking each other and giggling, Saxton was tearing up a tissue he had recently used, Nathan was sitting like he was in meditation, eyes closed, saying "Ohmmmmmm",   "Ketchuuuuup", (who knows where that came from!), Brinley was tying herself in knots. 
Ellie was anxious to finish sentences and explain things.

So I waaaay overshot the mark on that one.

I take comfort in the following quote from Elder Bednar:

"As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.     UAdd a Note 

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.     UAdd a Note 

Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent."     UAdd a Note 

November 2009 Ensign

We'll try again next week, with more realistic expectations!