Connecting with my Daughters Through Bible Study

By: Christine Fishel

I have always fretted about the right way to mother my two girls. We came into each other’s lives with just one day’s notice when their birthmothers chose me to be their mom. I feel committed–not just to them, but to their birthmothers as well–to be a good mom for these beautiful girls who have been entrusted to me.

I know what I have in mind for our relationship, but I often worry about whether the paths I choose each day will get us there. I want to have great communication with them, I want them to know and love the Lord, and I want us to be able to share that love for Him with each other.

A year ago, I purchased a young women’s Bible study for my daughters and me to use together. We had tried a couple of times to get involved in it, but didn’t really start until this summer when I made 30 minutes of Bible study a summer assignment for each member of our family. As we sat at our dining room table that first night, I wasn’t thrilled with the study content. It felt a little forced and dry to me. I considered finding a different study that might connect more with them. But, as each of my girls shared their journal responses to questions in the study, I was touched by their openness to share what is on their individual hearts: their questions about why God had brought them to this world in their own unique beginning-of-life circumstances, their concerns and care for their birth families, and even their questions about whether the Bible is a reliable source on which to base their lives.

I am not afraid of their questioning thoughts. In fact, I love that they question all aspects of their lives, because I believe whole-heartedly that this will allow God’s truth to come to them in His timing. I am in awe of how He is working in them–and in me–as we open our minds and our hearts to each other and to God’s Word.

It turns out that having a successful Bible study with my girls isn’t about finding the best study material. It is about making the time to be together, even if it is past our bedtime with a full day starting early the next morning. Fifteen minutes is all it takes for us to bond together, for us to see each other as individual, flawed people who don’t have all the answers but do have a deep interest, an open mind and heart, and a growing love for the God who created us and brought us together.