I demanded we eat dinner together. It was the
only night we didn't have soccer, track, or meetings on the calendar.
Honestly, when I plan a "family night," it's pure awesomeness in my
mind but the actual outcome often falls short of my utopian expectations.
Nevertheless, I keep trying to make memories my kids won't forget...
The event: Lost at Sea - a survival scenario
You may have done this before but try it with your family, it's
interesting.
Download this pdf. -Lost at Sea
It outlines the whole scenario. Your plane crashed in the
middle of the ocean. You managed to salvage 15 items and you must rank the
items in order of importance. On the list are things like 15 ft of nylon
rope, shaving mirror, chocolate bars, and maps of the Ocean, etc.
I covered the kitchen table with brown paper and wrote all 15 items
all over the table. Before dinner, I read the scenario to them and as we
ate we discussed all the items and what we could do with them. My guys
were pretty creative with a few things and other ideas were downright dumb. BUT
it kept conversation going and our brains engaged with each other to solve
problems. After dinner, each person got their own list and had to rank
the items in order of importance. All our lists were different. (I
put the chocolate bars higher on the list than the guys did...Go figure!)
I read the answers, according to the US Coast Guard and we scored
our lists. The Foxy Mr would have been rescued, Kid Two and I would have been dehydrated but been rescued and poor Kid One (who is very logical in real
life) -- only his raft would have washed up on shore long after the search was
called off! Kid Three was not interested in being rescued, just playing along. (Kid Four was sent to bed for throwing a fit.)
The game concluded with a little practical application. (Our
family has a list of people we are praying to receive Christ.)
(Our conversation went something like this:)
This game is called Lost at Sea... but there are people who are
Lost in the World - they are without Christ. There is only one thing on
the list that will save them. It is the blood of Jesus. It is up to
us to be a light in the lives of these people, to point them to Jesus who
saves. You can rationalize and analyze all the things that could be
useful to them but the truth is the same - they are still lost and destined for
destruction without a relationship with Christ.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________