When I look back to being “patient” as a kid, there is one night that was harder than all the rest… Christmas Eve!  I remember begging my mom to let me just open one present before we went to church that night because I simply couldn’t wait to unlock the wonders and mysteries hidden in those packages underneath the Christmas tree! I’d take a peak at the presents that had my name on them while my mom and dad were busy making dinner preparations in the kitchen, looking forward to the moment when I could rip off all that paper and enjoy my special treasures. It was in those moments that I had to learn how to wait, to not let my greed and excitement take over. I had to be patient. In our passage today, God talks about patience, but He shows us that patience involves a lot more than just waiting to open presents at Christmas. 

Read James 5:7-8 together as a family. 

In our passage, God tells us that patience requires a lot of trust. Just like the farmer has to trust that the ground is going to produce a crop, we have to trust that God is going to take care of us. This is what patience is all about!  And why can we trust that God is going to take care of us? Our Scripture tell us right there—because Jesus is coming back! We can be patient when things don’t go our way because we know that the God who loves us is going to return to us and make everything right. 

Activity Option #1: 

Go out to the backyard (or get some dirt and put it into a bowl) and plant a seed. Talk about what it will take for the seed to grow (water, sunlight, roots, etc...), about how long it will take for the seed to turn into a fully- grown plant, and what it will feel like to wait. Throughout the next weeks/months, keep checking on that seed, reminding your kids what patience is all about.

Questions:

What sorts of things do we have to wait for?

When is it difficult for you to wait and be patient?

What would it look like to trust God while waiting? 

Activity Option #2: 

As another activity, you can do a trust fall with each of your kids. Invite your kid (one at a time) to close their eyes and keep their body totally straight. Stand behind them (as far back as you feel comfortable), and tell them to fall. Tell them they have to trust that you are not going to drop them, that you’ll catch them, that they’ll be ok.

Questions:

What did it feel like to fall backwards?

How is that similar to trusting God?

Why does God say we can trust Him?

What will He do when he returns and why does that matter?

We are in “sync” with and connected to a God who is coming back. This is how we can be patient, trusting that Jesus loves us, is watching out for us, and is making everything right. Question: How can you stay connected to Jesus this week?