Have you ever been curious about your family history? A sense of nostalgia can help warm our hearts during the holidays. As we think back on joyful celebrations and moments with loved ones, we remember what’s important: loving others. But if you’re low on tales from the past, consider asking grandparents about their lives and memories.
Taking the time to capture these remembrances may become a priceless family treasure for your children. Kids can also learn important lessons during these sentimental recollections. Perhaps their ancestors modeled good choices during an arduous struggle, made ends meet with integrity, followed Christ amid difficult circumstances or demonstrated what it means to be a family.
Not sure how to capture these stories? Read how I retell a story of hardship and God’s faithfulness to my grandfather when he was a boy. Use the discussion questions that follow to explore history with your children.
The pungent smell of onions filled the two-room log cabin as a snowstorm raged outside. Seven-year-old Ed stuffed his hands into the pockets of his overalls as he stared at his 2-year-old niece, Helen, in the darkened bedroom. At least she’d stopped coughing, but her breathing was still ragged. Her recovery would be the best Christmas present for him.
What if she isn’t going to be all right? Ed pushed the thought from his mind as his bare feet carried him into the front room. The rough boards creaked beneath his weight.
Hassie, his sister-in-law, looked up as she tied an apron over the front of the dress she had sewn from flour sacks. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s sleeping,” Ed said as he watched Hassie put fresh butter into the cast iron skillet and then toss in a cup of chopped onions.
She cracked a little smile. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her.”
“Sure,” Ed nodded.
After his mother’s death a few months ago, his brother, Bartley, had invited Ed to move in. Bartley and Hassie did their best to make him a part of their family, but Ed felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.
“Could you stir this for me, please?” Hassie asked.
Ed rolled up the sleeves on his shirt and hurried to the coal stove they used for cooking food and heating the cabin. Grasping the wooden spoon in his hand, he stirred the onions. It was the least he could do.
Besides, it gave him time to think. He didn’t want to be a burden on his brother and Hassie. After all, he was 7 now, practically a man.
A snowy wind rushed into the room as Bartley entered carrying a heavy burlap sack. “Hassie, look what I got.” He held out the open bag as he slammed the wooden door shut behind him.
Hassie looked and then grinned. “How?”
“Ol’ Ben and Fred came into town with a heap load of possums they caught,” Bartley explained. “I told ’em I’d help fix their roof. It’s leakin’ again.”
Ed’s stomach growled. Mmm, possum and taters, he thought. It had been awhile since they’d had meat. Maybe I could learn to catch possums for the family . . . if I stay.
Hassie’s eyes glimmered with tears. “God sure does take care of us.”
“That’s not all, Hassie.” Bartley set down the bag. “The Ramsey boys caught a bunch of carp down at the river just before the weather turned bad. Too many for them to eat. I got three.”
Hassie’s hands flew to her mouth. Without a word, she hurried back to the stove and took the spoon from Ed. Hassie had fed the Ramsey boys for days when their Ma died. Not fish, just beans. It’s all she had to share.
Ed backed up as Hassie lifted the pan from the stove.
“How’s our little girl doing?” Bartley asked.
“She’s stopped coughing,” Ed spoke up since he didn’t think Hassie was ready to answer. “But her breathing is still thick.”
Hassie waived Ed over to her side. “Look, Ed, these are cooked perfect.” She dumped the onions in the middle of a piece of flannel ripped from an old shirt and folded the four corners into the middle to cover them. “You just made your first onion poultice,” she told him. Her eyes beamed with pride. “Soon as it cools a bit, I’ll put this on Helen’s chest. It should help with the congestion.”
“Hassie, Ed and I are headed out,” Bartley said.
She stopped and looked back from the bedroom door. “You just got home.”
“I heard a coal train’s coming through soon,”
he said.
Hassie frowned. “That’s dangerous.”
Bartley gazed at his wife with gentle eyes. “Now don’t you worry. I’m not a rowdy boy like when you first met me. I won’t be jumping on any trains and throwing down coal.”
Ed had seen people do that before. For some of them, it was the only way to cook or warm their homes during the winter months. He cast a glance at their coal bucket. It was low. But even though times were hard, he knew God didn’t want them to steal coal.
“Then why are we going?” Ed questioned. He sat on the floor to put on his hand-me-down brogue boots.
“I need your eyes.” Bartley winked at Ed. “After a coal train passes, sometimes small pieces of coal fall off. If they are very small, the crowd doesn’t bother with ’em. If we get enough small pieces, we’ll have coal for another day.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Hassie gave a wave and tiptoed into Helen’s room.
“Ready to help?” Bartley raised one brow.
Ed nodded. He’d helped Hassie make the onion poultice. Now he’d help Bartley find pieces of leftover coal. And when Bartley found work again, Ed would get the coal on his own. And Hassie’s onion poultice would help his niece recover. This was going to be a good Christmas.
Bartley set the burlap sack by the stove. Hassie would know what to do with the meat and fish.
Ed finished tying his boots, pulling the laces tight since they were a few sizes too big. Then he pulled on his heavy coat.
“I’m ready,” Ed said. And he did feel ready. Maybe his brother and sister-in-law needed him, too. The Depression was a difficult time, but soon, when he was 8, he could do more for them. He knew how to plant and weed a garden. He knew how to sweep the floor and make a bed and play with Helen. Maybe it only took time and willingness to fit in.
A discussion for parents and kids
The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to about 1939. By 1933, unemployment reached 25%. Many people were without food, and some were homeless.
Consider sharing some of your family history with your children, especially those about how past generations made it through the Great Depression. Help your kids understand that God will be with them in hard times, and when they are sick or in need. Sometimes He helps them out of their situation, and sometimes He stays with them as they remain in it. But He is always there. Here are a few questions to start this discussion:
• What do we use to treat coughs and colds today? How did Helen’s family try to help her get well during the Depression? Why didn’t they take her to a doctor?
• How did the people in this story help each other survive the Depression? Why might being kind to others and sharing what you have, no matter how little, be important even today?
• Why do you think people used wood- or coal-burning stoves to heat their homes? How do we heat our house in modern times?
The post Learning About God’s Provison in Your Family History appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
Taking the time to capture these remembrances may become a priceless family treasure for your children. Kids can also learn important lessons during these sentimental recollections. Perhaps their ancestors modeled good choices during an arduous struggle, made ends meet with integrity, followed Christ amid difficult circumstances or demonstrated what it means to be a family.
Not sure how to capture these stories? Read how I retell a story of hardship and God’s faithfulness to my grandfather when he was a boy. Use the discussion questions that follow to explore history with your children.
The Story
The pungent smell of onions filled the two-room log cabin as a snowstorm raged outside. Seven-year-old Ed stuffed his hands into the pockets of his overalls as he stared at his 2-year-old niece, Helen, in the darkened bedroom. At least she’d stopped coughing, but her breathing was still ragged. Her recovery would be the best Christmas present for him.
What if she isn’t going to be all right? Ed pushed the thought from his mind as his bare feet carried him into the front room. The rough boards creaked beneath his weight.
Hassie, his sister-in-law, looked up as she tied an apron over the front of the dress she had sewn from flour sacks. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s sleeping,” Ed said as he watched Hassie put fresh butter into the cast iron skillet and then toss in a cup of chopped onions.
She cracked a little smile. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her.”
“Sure,” Ed nodded.
After his mother’s death a few months ago, his brother, Bartley, had invited Ed to move in. Bartley and Hassie did their best to make him a part of their family, but Ed felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.
“Could you stir this for me, please?” Hassie asked.
Ed rolled up the sleeves on his shirt and hurried to the coal stove they used for cooking food and heating the cabin. Grasping the wooden spoon in his hand, he stirred the onions. It was the least he could do.
Besides, it gave him time to think. He didn’t want to be a burden on his brother and Hassie. After all, he was 7 now, practically a man.
He will provide
A snowy wind rushed into the room as Bartley entered carrying a heavy burlap sack. “Hassie, look what I got.” He held out the open bag as he slammed the wooden door shut behind him.
Hassie looked and then grinned. “How?”
“Ol’ Ben and Fred came into town with a heap load of possums they caught,” Bartley explained. “I told ’em I’d help fix their roof. It’s leakin’ again.”
Ed’s stomach growled. Mmm, possum and taters, he thought. It had been awhile since they’d had meat. Maybe I could learn to catch possums for the family . . . if I stay.
Hassie’s eyes glimmered with tears. “God sure does take care of us.”
“That’s not all, Hassie.” Bartley set down the bag. “The Ramsey boys caught a bunch of carp down at the river just before the weather turned bad. Too many for them to eat. I got three.”
Hassie’s hands flew to her mouth. Without a word, she hurried back to the stove and took the spoon from Ed. Hassie had fed the Ramsey boys for days when their Ma died. Not fish, just beans. It’s all she had to share.
Ed backed up as Hassie lifted the pan from the stove.
“How’s our little girl doing?” Bartley asked.
“She’s stopped coughing,” Ed spoke up since he didn’t think Hassie was ready to answer. “But her breathing is still thick.”
Hassie waived Ed over to her side. “Look, Ed, these are cooked perfect.” She dumped the onions in the middle of a piece of flannel ripped from an old shirt and folded the four corners into the middle to cover them. “You just made your first onion poultice,” she told him. Her eyes beamed with pride. “Soon as it cools a bit, I’ll put this on Helen’s chest. It should help with the congestion.”
Making ends meet
“Hassie, Ed and I are headed out,” Bartley said.
She stopped and looked back from the bedroom door. “You just got home.”
“I heard a coal train’s coming through soon,”
he said.
Hassie frowned. “That’s dangerous.”
Bartley gazed at his wife with gentle eyes. “Now don’t you worry. I’m not a rowdy boy like when you first met me. I won’t be jumping on any trains and throwing down coal.”
Ed had seen people do that before. For some of them, it was the only way to cook or warm their homes during the winter months. He cast a glance at their coal bucket. It was low. But even though times were hard, he knew God didn’t want them to steal coal.
“Then why are we going?” Ed questioned. He sat on the floor to put on his hand-me-down brogue boots.
“I need your eyes.” Bartley winked at Ed. “After a coal train passes, sometimes small pieces of coal fall off. If they are very small, the crowd doesn’t bother with ’em. If we get enough small pieces, we’ll have coal for another day.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Hassie gave a wave and tiptoed into Helen’s room.
“Ready to help?” Bartley raised one brow.
‘I’m ready’
Ed nodded. He’d helped Hassie make the onion poultice. Now he’d help Bartley find pieces of leftover coal. And when Bartley found work again, Ed would get the coal on his own. And Hassie’s onion poultice would help his niece recover. This was going to be a good Christmas.
Bartley set the burlap sack by the stove. Hassie would know what to do with the meat and fish.
Ed finished tying his boots, pulling the laces tight since they were a few sizes too big. Then he pulled on his heavy coat.
“I’m ready,” Ed said. And he did feel ready. Maybe his brother and sister-in-law needed him, too. The Depression was a difficult time, but soon, when he was 8, he could do more for them. He knew how to plant and weed a garden. He knew how to sweep the floor and make a bed and play with Helen. Maybe it only took time and willingness to fit in.
Your Family’s History
A discussion for parents and kids
The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to about 1939. By 1933, unemployment reached 25%. Many people were without food, and some were homeless.
Consider sharing some of your family history with your children, especially those about how past generations made it through the Great Depression. Help your kids understand that God will be with them in hard times, and when they are sick or in need. Sometimes He helps them out of their situation, and sometimes He stays with them as they remain in it. But He is always there. Here are a few questions to start this discussion:
• What do we use to treat coughs and colds today? How did Helen’s family try to help her get well during the Depression? Why didn’t they take her to a doctor?
• How did the people in this story help each other survive the Depression? Why might being kind to others and sharing what you have, no matter how little, be important even today?
• Why do you think people used wood- or coal-burning stoves to heat their homes? How do we heat our house in modern times?
The post Learning About God’s Provison in Your Family History appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...