Mama’s K.I.S.S. Number 1 – Widow Hugging

One of the most requested topics this year on my speaking circuit has been a lesson in which I list a hundred ideas for training our kids to be servants. Service oriented kids grow up to be productive adult servants in the kingdom and it’s those people to whom the Lord will say, “Come ye blessed of my Father,” according to Matthew 25. So it matters if I’m making a real effort, as a mom, to put the heart of a servant in my child. For this reason, I’ve decided to devote a post, every now and then, to a service suggestion—a simple idea for moms to make their homes busy service centers for young hearts and hands. I’d love to hear from those of you who try them. So here goes:

Widow Hugging

When Caleb and Hannah were small, we worked with a congregation where we had a hundred widows. That was a big plus for lots of reasons. We had great and faithful elderly examples for our children. Lots of opportunities for service also came with the territory. Glenn and I “assigned” our children the “task” of hugging three widows at each worship assembly. They had to find them and just walk right up and give them a big hug. If they forgot their widows on Sunday morning, they “had” to hug six on Sunday night.

Only you know what happened, don’t you? It wasn’t a “have-to” kind of assignment for very long. Pretty soon the relationships between our kids and these faithful saints was blossoming and our children looked forward to the hugs as much as the older women who were craning their necks around waiting for the Colley kids to come in the auditorium! I think the widows loved it, but I know the Colley kids were the big beneficiaries of this little family program. Some of those older ladies became very dear to my children. Some played significant roles in their spiritual development. Some are responsible for opportunities that later impacted my kids’ decisions for the Lord.

God cares a lot about His widows (Ex. 22:22,23; I Tim..5) Why not have a Family Bible time and discuss some of the Bible’s references to God’s care for widows and then make this assignment for your kids?