on homeschooling: now why this fear and unbelief?
Every year at this time 2 things happen:
1) I see all that we haven't finished yet in our homeschool and become tempted to discouragement.
2) I start looking back through all the work we have finished in our homeschool.
Which really leads to a third thing happening:
3) Sheer amazement that we've accomplished so much, yet without my really noticing it.
Today was a "let's go through your school folder" day at our homeschool. I was overjoyed when I read some of the reports of my 3rd and 5th graders that they completed this year. Presidents, historical events, scientific studies... THEY GOT IT! Meaning, not only did we ingest it as we studied, but they digested it!
It's when I compare our family to others that I start getting nervous, thinking, "Oh no, my children don't know that...Why is her child so interested in biochemistry?...Home come my children aren't setting up their own etsy store for all the crafts, needlework and carpentry projects they've made? I'm failing them! They'll never survive in the outside world! I need to step it up about 10 notches! AhHHHHHHH!"
But when I come back to sanity, and look into the word of God, here is what I see:
"You shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when yo lie down, and when you rise..." Deut. 6:5-7
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him." Prov. 22:15
"My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right." Prov. 23:15-16
"Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him." Prov. 23:22-23
Our schoolday is filled with teachable moments. And I don't mean math facts and spelling patterns. Applying the word of God to sinful responses...this is my daily experience with my children. Some days the need for bringing God's Word to bear seems minute by minute, other days, we float threw the hours without many issues. Arguments between siblings, judging others, self-centered actions and words and ambitions, disrespect...they all can come out on parade. And here I am, the one who gets to "rightly divide the word of truth" to my children and explain why we must live for God's glory and not our own. This is why we wanted to homeschool in the first place...to be our children's largest source of guidance and input daily.
Here's the catch: Spiritual fruit is much harder to observe than academic results. And even academic prowess isn't nearly as measurable and exact as our world would like us to believe! So I am called to patiently walk my children through each day, not just teaching them the academic subjects they "need" to succeed, but infinitely more important, teaching them "diligently" all that the Lord commands of His people.
And there is grace. For ultimately, it's God, not me, that will finish this training in my children. He always completes what he begins. Why do I fear and have unbelief? Faith is what I need. Not comparison. Not higher grades on standardized tests. Faith in God to keep my feet on this path and to lead my children rightly.
1) I see all that we haven't finished yet in our homeschool and become tempted to discouragement.
2) I start looking back through all the work we have finished in our homeschool.
Which really leads to a third thing happening:
3) Sheer amazement that we've accomplished so much, yet without my really noticing it.
Today was a "let's go through your school folder" day at our homeschool. I was overjoyed when I read some of the reports of my 3rd and 5th graders that they completed this year. Presidents, historical events, scientific studies... THEY GOT IT! Meaning, not only did we ingest it as we studied, but they digested it!
It's when I compare our family to others that I start getting nervous, thinking, "Oh no, my children don't know that...Why is her child so interested in biochemistry?...Home come my children aren't setting up their own etsy store for all the crafts, needlework and carpentry projects they've made? I'm failing them! They'll never survive in the outside world! I need to step it up about 10 notches! AhHHHHHHH!"
But when I come back to sanity, and look into the word of God, here is what I see:
"You shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when yo lie down, and when you rise..." Deut. 6:5-7
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him." Prov. 22:15
"My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right." Prov. 23:15-16
"Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him." Prov. 23:22-23
Our schoolday is filled with teachable moments. And I don't mean math facts and spelling patterns. Applying the word of God to sinful responses...this is my daily experience with my children. Some days the need for bringing God's Word to bear seems minute by minute, other days, we float threw the hours without many issues. Arguments between siblings, judging others, self-centered actions and words and ambitions, disrespect...they all can come out on parade. And here I am, the one who gets to "rightly divide the word of truth" to my children and explain why we must live for God's glory and not our own. This is why we wanted to homeschool in the first place...to be our children's largest source of guidance and input daily.
Here's the catch: Spiritual fruit is much harder to observe than academic results. And even academic prowess isn't nearly as measurable and exact as our world would like us to believe! So I am called to patiently walk my children through each day, not just teaching them the academic subjects they "need" to succeed, but infinitely more important, teaching them "diligently" all that the Lord commands of His people.
And there is grace. For ultimately, it's God, not me, that will finish this training in my children. He always completes what he begins. Why do I fear and have unbelief? Faith is what I need. Not comparison. Not higher grades on standardized tests. Faith in God to keep my feet on this path and to lead my children rightly.
Comments
Post a Comment