Have you noticed that some families seem to be harmonious most of the time; while other families seem to derive satisfaction from being in conflict? Talk with your children about harmony in the home. Is it desirable? Ask them, "Do you think we have a happy home?" Here are a few suggestions that could transform your home into a peaceful, tranquil place.
Do Things Together As a Family. Work on hobbies together. Read together. Watch television together and talk about what you have looked at.
Work together: Share the chores, clean the basement, plant the garden, help the neighbors, etc. Children need to discover the joy that comes from helping someone in need. Sister Loomis lost her husband a year ago. Brother Loomis always kept his place neat and trimmed. But Sister Loomis didn't have money to hire the work done. One day the family was talking about her and 12-year-old Tommy said, "Dad, why don't we just go over to her house and clean the place up and help her out?" So that's what the family did. They set aside a day to help Sister Loomis. They mowed the lawn, weeded the flower bed, cleaned the garage, swept the driveway, etc. Mom had packed a nice picnic lunch so they sat under a tree in the yard and enjoyed their lunch.
After about eight hours of work, the place was completely transformed. Sister Loomis was ecstatic with joy. They headed home with happy feelings. Dad said, "Let's stop for an ice cream treat." That night at worship time, Tom said, "This has been one of the happiest days of my life." But that's not the end of the story. "My neighbors asked me who the people were who cleaned up my place," Sister Loomis later related. "I told them that they were my church family." So the neighborhood learned something about Seventh-day Adventist Christians.
Play together: Budget time for family fun. In planning be sure to get input from each member of the family. "Tammy, what would you like to do next Sunday on our family fun day? We could go to the park and you could play on the swings, or we could go for a swim and then hike up to the falls." Plan activities that every member of the family will enjoy. Outdoor activities are the best. Go out in nature and enjoy God's creation.
The day that you suffer you are tired, do not forget, your home is always docked points!
