by: Deborah Pace Rowley
Object Lesson: The Rocky Road of Life
At the beginning of the lesson, lay a road down the middle of the family room. This can be made with long pieces of fabric, sheets, tablecloths, a roll of butcher paper, or even pieces of newspaper spread out end to end. Give each family member a piece of paper and have them design their own car to travel down this road When each person has drawn and colored their personalized car, cut them out and lay them at the beginning of the road. Then read this story told by President Monson. Ask the family to listen for what the road represents.
Story: Canadian Roads
In 1955, not long after I began my service as president of the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I met N. Eldon Tanner, a prominent Canadian who just months later would be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then to the Quorum of the Twelve, and then as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church.
At the time I met him, President Tanner was president of the vast Trans-Canada Pipeline, LTC, and president of the Canada Calgary Stake. He was known as "Mr. Integrity" in Canada. During that first meeting, we discussed, among other subjects, the cold Canadian winters, where storms rage, temperatures can linger well below freezing for weeks at a time, and where icy winds lower those temperatures even further. I asked President Tanner why the roads and highways in western Canada basically remained intact during such winters, showing little or no signs off cracking or breaking, while the road surfaces in many areas where winters are less cold and less severe developed cracks and breaks and potholes.
Said he, "The answer is in the depth of the base of the paving materials. In order for them to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather."
Over the years I have thought often of this conversation and of President Tanner's explanation, for I recognize in his words a profound application for our lives. Stated simply, if we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us. Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heaveny Father. In order for us to be tested, we must face challenges and difficulties. These can break us, and the surfaces of our souls may crack and rumble---that is, if our foundations, our testimonies of truth are not deeply embedded within us. (President Thomas S. Monson "How firm a Foundation", Ensign Nov 2006 pg. 62)
Activity: Bring on the Obstacles
Have the family share what the road represents. The road is life. According to President Monson, what else does our road of life need? The purpose of life is to test us, so our road needs obstacles and challenges. Send the family on a hunt for different obstacles to put on the road. Obstacles can be a stack of books on the road or a kitchen bowl to climb over or a stuffed animal to go around. Let the family be creative in creating their obstacles. Then have the family label some of the obstacles that they are facing in their own lives right now or the obstacles the family is facing. Write these challenges on small pieces of paper and tape these labels to the obstacles in the road.
President Monson told us what we need to make it past these obstacles. What do we need? We need a strong foundation of faith and testimony. Listen to the three things that President Monson says will help us build a strong foundation. Ask three different family members to read these quotes. As you finish each quote label one or two cars with the key ideas and have those family members drive their cars down the road and over the obstacles.
1. First fortify your foundation through prayer. As we pray, let us really communicate with our Father in Heaven. It is easy to let our prayers become repetitious, expressing words with little or no thought behind them. When we remember that each of us is literally a spirit son or daughter of God, we will not find it difficult to approach Him in prayer. He knows us. He loves us. He wants what is best for us. Let us pray with sincerity and meaning, offering our thanks and asking for those thing we feel we need. Let us listen for his answers, that we may recognize them when they come. Let us not neglect our family prayers. Such is an effective deterrent to sin, and thence a most beneficent provider of joy and happiness. That old saying is yet true: The family that prays together stays together." By providing an example of prayer to our children, we will also be helping them to begin their own deep foundations of faith and testimony which they will need throughout their lives."
2. My second guideline: Let us study the scriptures and meditate therein day and night as counseled by the Lord in the book of Joshua.
3. My third guideline for building a strong foundation of faith and testimony involves service. While driving to the office one morning, I passed a dry-cleaning establishment which had a sign in the window. It read, "It's the Service that counts." The sign's message simply would not leave my mind. Suddenly I realized why. In actual fact it is the service that counts-- the Lord's service.... Along your pathway in life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."
(President Thomas S. Monson, 'How Firm a Foundation," Ensign Nov 2006, pag 62)
Testimony: Share these statements with the family and then have each family member choose a statement that they want to bear testimony about.
Prayer helps us overcome the obstacles in life.
The scriptures help us in traveling the road of life.
Service to others really strengthens us.
Treat: Rocky Road Bars
For the treat, you will be building a road with many layers. As each layer is put on, remind the family about each layer that we need in our spiritual foundation.
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 to 1/12 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup chopped nuts
Melt the butter and pour in to a clear 13x9 baking dish.
Sprinkle vanilla wafer crumbs over the butter. Pour condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Layer the remaining ingredients evenly over the top. Press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.
No comments:
Post a Comment