Before you hit the road this summer, take these easy steps to make your trip more meaningful.
Through the intentional use of memory verses, you can discover God’s love in new ways everywhere you go.
1. Choose the right verse
Set yourself up for success—pick an easy one. Either concentrate on one you’re already learning, or pick a fresh one specifically for your trip [see suggestions here]. A mission trip might need a different scripture than a visit to Grandma’s.
The family might learn one verse together, or each member learn a separate verse.
2. Gather your supplies
Write out your verse on sticky notes ahead of time to place on the hotel fridge or the ice chest in your tent. Bring a pack of 4×6 cards and markers for your kids (and you!) to write out the verse or sketch a picture of it during travel time. Consider bringing a simple rewards chart with stickers for once-a-day (or every other day?) recitations.
3. Get creative
Take one picture a day where you see this verse in action—maybe in a colorful wildflower or a child’s toe dipping in the ocean. Collect physical mementos that remind you of the verse. Draw a picture; write a song; compose a poem.
Proactively make tangible connections between the truths in the verse and the God all around you.
4. Share it with others
If you stay plugged in on your trip, post a picture to Instagram or Facebook with your memory verse as text or with a link to the reference on Bible Gateway. Send a postcard about it to friends back home.
As you seek opportunities to share the words you’re learning, you’ll stay more aware of them yourself.
5. Collect in an album
Back home, gather your photos and 4×6 cards in a small album as a reminder of God’s faithfulness on your trip. Or turn your Instagram pictures into picture magnets.
Having visible reminders of the relationships you made between the written word and the Living Word will cement your memories even deeper in your heart.
Most of all, keep it delightful. Training ourselves to clearly see God’s beauty everywhere should be an exciting adventure, not a guilt-ridden drudgery. If you miss a day, don’t sweat it. Maybe you won’t totally memorize your verse word-perfect; that’s okay. Bask in God’s truths through new experiences, new people, and new memories.
Because every trip is far better when God travels with us!
Resources
FREE PRINTABLES:
- Memory verses for trips
- Classic scriptures to memorize this summer
- “The Word for the Road” for 7 days of family devotions
Have you ever memorized on the road?
What theme scripture might describe your summer?
Is there a verse you’re learning right now?
Lisa – awesome tips. I love #3. Collecting reminders can be such a great way for kids (and us) to remember His constant presence. #4 is good, too. I’m honestly encouraged when others share what they see, too.
Thanks, Caroline. We’ve done a little of each of these through the years, but I wish now I’d done more.
Just this year I’ve tried taking pictures of my weekly memory verse (wherever I am, not just trips) and it’s been very enlightening to see how God is working through them in ways I might not have noticed otherwise.
Lisa, these are GREAT ideas, especially the taking pictures part. I’m going to look at some of the photos I’ve already taken the last couple of weeks and see if I can match them to a verse. thanks!
What a great thing to do, Jody. Please share any that you’d like to on our Hide His Word Facebook page. I’d love to see them!
Lisa, this is great! And I love the printable! I just posted about it on my Laura Lee Groves, Author FB page!
Thanks, Laura! Appreciate you spreading the Word. :-)