Hey CVCYouth parents,
Have you checked out the new cvcyouth.org page? Before the quarantine, maybe you were like us and only really checked it out when you wanted to download the packing list for an upcoming camp or retreat. Our lives were so busy busing our kids to and from practices and events, especially at this time of the year. Obviously, things have changed (understatement), and our new norm looks quite different. Thankfully, CVCYouth has done an amazing job in helping to connect our kids/family with the Church and has helped restore some normalcy. The resources on the website are amazing and the staff is doing such a great job helping bring Church into our homes.
Even though we practice Christian values in our home, it has always been a struggle to find routine calm times to have our family devotions. Everyone is coming and going at different times. As the recent weeks have gone by, each week has brought about a new normal as we have gotten used to the different way of doing things. Before Covid-19, Collide was a once a week occasion. Our boys get along well with their Collide friends, but we do not live near any group members. Their connection to the group and leaders was only on Sunday mornings. Now, each night, we look forward to spending time going through the devotions and activities with them.
We began watching the Collide Covid Diaries on the Facebook page one evening before bedtime. Then, Dead Cat rolled around, and we enjoyed weighing in on his fate! The following evening, we found other devotions on the page and caught up on those. Before we knew it, a precious routine of family devotions had been established. Now, even on the evenings where we have found ourselves binged out of new content, we started watching episodes of “The Chosen” together.
The devotions are relevant…for the kids and for us. The boys can remember the New City Catechism verses and are able to explain and reason through them. We have also been enjoying hearing the message presented in a way relevant to young believers (or pre-believers). For instance, Lauren spoke about Matthew 6:25-34, reminding us that worrying can not add a single day to our lives. The message was broken down so clearly and practically that God brought it to mind immediately when a co-worker shared her fear of job loss. The Collide devotion reminded me to take the extra step and not just say that I will pray for her but ask if I could pray with her right there on the phone. Sharing this practical application with our kids made it come alive even more.
We feel so thankful that Collide/CVCYouth has provided us with Godly, relevant material, spoken through familiar voices and faces. Our children are connected through virtual life groups and the online content has helped our family seek Him together.
It was also a truly special gift to have the drive by on one of our son’s birthday! We feel closer to Collide more than any other relationship we have maintained during this quarantine time. We are confident that the relationships being built/fortified during this time between the CVCYouth staff, leaders, and other students will be sustained after this is all over. Through the love and hard work of CVCYouth, God is making lasting memories that will continue to bless and shine in our lives.
How about you? What is your new normal? If your time together as a family has increased, what has it been filled with? I would encourage you to go through all the time slots that your family is together that are not occupied by school or work. Maybe its at dinner time, before your kids scatter into doing their own thing? Maybe it’s in the mornings before everyone starts the day? Take a minute to think about which slot you can set aside to do family devotions. Make this “corona-cation” count!
Buzz and Viv Jenks