Since I’ve talked a lot about breakfast conversations, it might interest one or two people to know that… a typical morning lately doesn’t include a mommy sitting down with all three kids at once, having a chipper conversation about spiritual things. Nope.

Typically, Lee gets up early.  Michelle thinks about getting up early and making breakfast and coffee for Lee. Looks for clean socks instead.

Checks Facebook and email, then goes back to sleep after Lee leaves, until children start knocking at her door.

(That would be one child. The one who wants to get the morning going and who actually went to sleep within five minutes of kissing mom and dad good night. Not the two who stayed up another hour talking.)

Child number one (and occasionally number three) want to eat breakfast right away in order to get a head start on school. (It’s really because they want to play computer games, and I say it’s okay after they’re done with school.) So this child has been eating breakfast all alone, while I try to put a few coherent thoughts together and decide whether I’m awake enough to make coffee.

Child three is now able to pour milk by herself, if the milk isn’t too full. She’s not yet good at determining if the milk is too full, but we’re making progress. She magically appears at the table about the time the first child is finishing.

Child two will quietly appear about the time I realize that nobody has gotten dressed. Or made their beds. Sometimes I remember about the beds, and I’ve been doing much better at asking them to go pick up their clothes from off the floor. (It’s pointless right now to ask them if they are on the floor. They are.) Meanwhile I’m learning that I clean the kitchen better in the morning than evening, so I’m usually wiping counters and on occasion sweeping the floor. This morning I actually started a load of laundry. Child three has started to make breakfast, only she doesn’t like cereal right now. She doesn’t like toast. She wants to make an egg. (eggs are quick, but they do require more dishwashing. we’re working on this, still.)

Child number one will start school, and child three is begging to do school. Child three has quietly finished breakfast and started to draw. (You will discover this if you come in the house and see paper in a huge fan across the living room floor, every crayon dumped out, and an assortment of cutting scraps next to scissors. It’s a good day if no clothing has been cut.) Since all the children are occupied, I pretend not to notice any of them so I can read my Bible. Somehow they have figured out that if they avoid me during this time, I won’t think to remind them about any chores that need to be done.

This is why we haven’t been having too many spiritual breakfast conversations lately. Just in case you were wondering.

So about a week ago, we were at the breakfast table, and we were talking about the wise man and the foolish man. And here were all my children correctly telling me that the wise man was wise because he heard God’s Word and obeyed it. You could tell they were feeling righteous. They explained how they obeyed God all the time.

Only trouble… they’re not saved.

So I asked them, have you obeyed God in the matter of salvation? Now this stopped them, and they didn’t answer for a long time. Apparently, the idea that salvation is an act of obedience was new to them, and it seemed to clarify some things for them. The discussion turned to other things.

Now Lee and I have been talking about this. Is salvation a command, or an invitation? It’s interesting how many salvation verses are if/ then statements: if you confess, then I will forgive, if you come, I will give you rest. This is something we’re thinking and studying these days.

This weekend, Lee and David will be hunting together. I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to use the quiet times they have together for His glory.