A few weeks ago, Rich Melheim gave a message at my church that discussed the importance of sharing highs and lows together as a family.
Rich told us to try it out. He said: at night, before bed, share highs and lows, share Scripture, and pray together, reflecting on those highs and lows and -perhaps – the Scripture.
Before this message, my wife and I were already saying a nightly prayer with our son before bed, but we didn’t ask each other what our highs and lows were of the day. I wasn’t sure how valuable this process could be with a 5-year old who was more interested in talking about monster trucks than how my day went.
As Jesus calls us to be a model for others, in our actions and behavior, my wife and I decided to give this a try. And, while I didn’t realize it at the time when I first heard this message, this sharing of nightly highs and lows has allowed my wife and I to model open communication with our son.
This didn’t hit me until during a recent session of highs and lows, my normally “all-about-me”-focused son (entirely normal for a 5-year old, don’t get me wrong) asked me: “What was your high today, Daddy?”
It certainly took me a few seconds to compose myself before I could joyously tell my boy about my day.
Whether you believe in God or not, this is a wonderful way to develop familial relationships (especially at an early age). Indeed, I believe the family that prays together, stays together. I now also believe that the family who shares highs and lows, can soften life’s blows.
