Elf on the Shelf Jesus Style Biblical Virtues: Patience

So in my pregnant state and then sleep deprived postpartum state, I didn’t realize I did this virtue twice!  There are two different blog posts with different discussions and different activities, but both on the virtue patience!  Oops!  Just tell your children that patience is very important and that your elf really wants them to understand this virtue! 😉  So sorry!

Discussion

Patience.  I have explained  it to my son as “waiting nicely.”  Patience is more than that though.  It also means to endure during hard times and to stay calm when something upsets you.

God is very patient with us.  Anytime we sin and make bad choices, God is patient with us and forgives us.  Say a prayer with your child thanking God for His patience with us.

Read James 5:7-8

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Ask your children the following questions:

• What does the land need to be able to grow?
• What would happen if the farmer harvested his crops early? What if he harvested before the rains came?  Would he have anything to harvest?

Jesus is coming back for us someday, but we do not know the time.  The bible tells us to wait patiently just like the farmer has to wait patiently for the rain.  Talk to your child about a time you had to wait patiently.  Ask your child to remember a time he/she had to wait patiently.  Remind your child that in all situations, the Lord’s timing is ALWAYS perfect.  We just need to be still and listen.

Scripture

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Ephesians 4:2

Activity

For this activity, you will need:

• Your favorite cookie recipe and your kitchen

Pick out your favorite cookie recipe and gather all your ingredients.  Allow your child to be an active participant in the cookie making.  Let them mix the ingredients and put the cookie dough on to the cookie sheet.  Talk to your children about how we have to wait patiently for the cookies to cook.  We could eat the cookie dough, but it won’t taste nearly as good as the baked cookie.  Just like we have to wait for the cookie to be fully cooked to enjoy its flavors, we have to wait on the Lord’s timing in our lives.  We see the cookie dough,  but we also see the bigger picture: the tasty baked cookie.  In our lives, God can see both the “cookie dough” and the bigger picture, even when we can’t.  This is why we have to trust in Him and wait patiently on the Lord!