
Then the frost came and killed everything.
Despite this being annoying, it opened a door to talk about the curse, how because of sin, the earth fights against our work to grow anything. The frost comes and the sun scorches, snails and bugs eat our plants, and neighborhood cats pee on everything. These frustrations allow us to tell them the world doesn’t work the way it should, that there is a problem in the world called sin. We can teach them God sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world and that eventually he will make the world new—a world where everything will work exactly the way it should. But for now we have to wait and do our rework in a way that pleases God. Play! Finally, there are times when the best thing we can do is remind our kids that God created everything–including fun! Release the hounds! Let them play to the glory of God—and maybe get your feet wet at the splash pad while you’re at it. Are these terribly creative ideas? Not really. But that’s okay. Sometimes we forget the opportunities God puts right in front of us to teach our children about Himself and the world He has given us. So go for a walk with your kids; do some gardening—and for goodness’ sake, have fun! It may be the most important teaching you do with your kids all summer.This post is part of our “Don’t Waste Your Summer” series. See the entire series click here.