Sunday nights are always game nights. “Sunday Night Game Night” in fact. Like, capital letters, official title, and trademark type of name. At the end of what can be a long and busy day filled with time at the church in the morning, Rachel working in the nursery all of the services, and Bible Study in the afternoons, we knew that investing time specifically focused on having fun with the kids at the end of the day would be a good end to the weekend.
We’ve played charades, memory, and a variety of board games. Sometimes we put together puzzles or play one of the many made-up games from the kids. We’ve played baseball outside and tag. Rock-paper-scissors is a good game when the kids are tired and we only have a few minutes.
On the docket tonight: a single red ball. The kind that all kids want from Target, Walmart, or the grocery store, inside that cage that’s 10 feet tall. Elias and I started throwing it back and forth while Linnea was getting ready for bed.
His hand-eye coordination is improving and tonight he was able to catch one bounce throw after another. He would then chuck the ball back to me and get excited each time I caught his throw. Eventually, he stopped trying to catch the ball and wanted me to throw it at him.
He dramatically threw himself on the floor after each throw hit him in the chest, laughing all the way to the ground. Elias then popped up, threw another ball back to me, and then repeated his dramatic flop.
Linnea joined in as Elias watched and then, at Elias’s request, we finished the night with monkey in the middle.
I spent years hoping to be a dad and have a chance to play with my kids. As Linnea and Elias have gotten older, even during a busy week, having dedicated time to spend with my family focusing on them has been life-giving to us all.
“Sunday Night Game Night” isn’t always as amazing as it was tonight, but building this family routine has freed up important space in our schedules.
As you evaluate your week, do you have time dedicated to the people that are the most important in your life? If you do, hold fast to that time, and protect it with all that you’ve got so that those closest to you get the best of you. If you don’t have time set aside, consider trying something. Whether it is “Sunday Night Game Night” or some variation, you won’t regret it.
Call to Action
Protect some time in your schedule this week for those that you love the most. And then do it again next week. And the next.
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
- Ephesians 5:15-17
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