NICK EIHER, HOST: Today is Wednesday, July 6th. Good morning! It is The world and everything in it from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.
MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichardt. Next up is the WORLD’s Kelsey Reed, our news coach for families with young students.
She has this encouragement for families traveling this summer.
KELSEY REED, NEWS COACH: I love going for car rides with my kids. I find they provide space and time for discipleship. Don’t get me wrong: we are working on good conversation and good manners around the dinner table. We talk after movies or while reading books. But on the best the conversations often happen in the car: everyone is buckled in…there’s nowhere else to go.
My parents were missionaries and church planters. I traveled a lot as a child. When I was young, we didn’t have the technology of this generation. So we found other ways to pass the time. The long drive slowed us down. A trip was a chance for thinking instead of doing.
More importantly, it was bonding time. A time for exploration and curiosity. In the car, my parents were as much a captive audience as we were. They watched the world with us. They welcomed our questions and asked their own. This modeled a conversational method that I learned to appreciate… and later apply.
Now, my own family and I are trying to push back the technology pacifier. This can be especially difficult when traveling – but it’s worth it.
AUDIO: [Car convo]
The conversations along the way that we have had with our children are as broad as our destinations. Their podcast answers. Our favorite audiobook discussion. Even an analysis of the music we choose. “What do the words mean? When was it written? What made it so popular?’
As we talk, my daughters are developing their curiosity about the world. At the same time, they develop their worldview. As they grow, so do their questions.
AUDIO: [Car convo]
At God’s WORLD News, we use three key words to describe our discipleship materials: discovery, exploration, and discernment. We want to encourage a child’s natural curiosity. To enjoy their questions.
When we ask questions and cultivate questioning, we encourage not only curiosity but also critical thinking. We want to discover and discern, not just absorb. what is true What is good? What is wonderful? How do we know?
In a journalistic enterprise, asking questions is at the heart of our process. They help us build a complete story. They provide introspection for the narrator. They are the tools we need to discern history behind the stories.
As my family hits the road. The rhythm of the highway soothes us. The melody of the conversation washes over us. We repeat the fundamental truths. We strengthen the relationship. Together we deal with the stories of the world and enjoy the beauty of His story—all from the seats of our mobile classroom – the family car.
I’m Kelsey Reed.
MUSIC: [LIFE IS A HIGHWAY by RASCAL FLATTS]
REIHARD: To learn more about our God’s WORLD News publications for children and to read more from Kelsey, visit gwnews.com.
WORLD Radio transcripts are created on deadline. This text may not be final and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The confidential recording of WORLD Radio programs is the audio recording.