Hopefully you were able to hear Ryan and Vivienne recite some of the Scripture that they’ve memorized together. I thought I’d add that their nightly tradition blossomed when I backed off so Ryan could develop something that would work well for him. We had talked for several years about various ways to do the traditional “family devotional” thing; Ryan wasn’t nuts about it because it felt contrived or was hard to remember. When I finally stopped asking about it, offering enthusiastic ideas, etc., Ryan was able to figure out something that really worked for him; something that was authentic, natural, and long-lasting.

Sometimes it’s just the right season to let men go. You never know: you might find yourself scrambling for the video camera to record something that happened without your help.