About 8 years ago, when my son was about 2 months from turning 3 years old, I was taking Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby at my church. The course has scripture memory involved and the first verse was:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Because I was a relatively new mother with one child and I involved my youngster in EVERYTHING I did, I would also involve him in my scripture memory. I would say a few words of the scripture and have him repeat it back to me. He was an early talker and this was pretty easy for him. We made this "our thing" during the course of taking that study. After that first week, we were videoing our little guy (as we were prone to do) and I said, "Son, let's say our scripture for Daddy! Repeat after me, 'I am the vine...'" He looked at me (and the camera) and said, "No Mommy, I do it!" Then, to our amazement then and now, he said the verse verbatim not missing a single word. He had no help from me whatsoever. I was shocked and amazed and still think of that night almost every week. I especially think of that whenever I make excuses for not memorizing scripture. If a 3 year old can do it, anyone can do it!
Fastforward all these years later...
I dropped my son off today at the church for a summer Bible study that our Children's Ministry intern is doing for the boys who are in 4th through 6th grade. When I picked up JT, he got in the car and said, "Mom, you aren't going to believe what our memory verse is for next week." You guessed it!
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
With great delight, he remembered the verse. He remembered the story of his learning it all of those years ago. He is learning the lesson. He is still hiding the Word in his heart.
My prayer is that in the months and years ahead, as he grows from being a child into a young man, he will never forget that nothing is impossible and everything is possible if he stays connected to the Vine.
Blessings,
Dori
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