Filled With Good Things

August 12, 2006

 by Virginia Knowles

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For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth over and around us lies;

Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour, of the day and of the night,

hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light;

Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind's delight,

for the mystic harmony, linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

(Folliot S. Pierpoint)

I don’t know about you, but the main reason our family is home schooling is that we want to fill our children’s hearts and minds with good things!  First and foremost, we desire to impart an intimate knowledge of our Gracious God and his ways.  We’re not always consistent with that, but it’s what keeps drawing us back into focus.   Our creative God, who made us in his image as creative beings, often reveals himself through the “common graces” of literature, art, music, and nature study.  Charlotte Mason, the esteemed turn-of-the-century British educator who wrote much about home schooling, always urged parents to make the most of these, rather than merely dull dry paperwork.  She envisioned children growing up wholesomely in the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical realms of life. That’s what we want: true beauty – a keen aesthetic sense that so fills the soul that there is no room for the garbage our culture dishes up so liberally.   The beauty I am talking about is not just “pretty stuff” for the eyes and ears.  It is not devoid of pain and suffering.  It is what transforms the soul toward the inner beauty of kindness and compassion – and that will mean exposure to the pathos of human existence.  (I’ll write more on this at the end of this newsletter.)

French archbishop Francis Fenelon wrote in 1687, “Children filled with thoughts of their romantic heroes, become astonished when they look around in real life, and cannot discover a single person throughout the world bearing resemblance with their ideal hero.  They would wish to live like those princes and princesses who are always charming, always adored, always above every care.  What a disgust for them to descend from a hero and heroine, to the low detail and drudgery of taking care of a family.  Children should be influenced by books that vividly portray life in all its trials and victories.  Divine providence should echo throughout its pages.  Characters who suffer wrongfully in a righteous manner, and display humble dispositions, will lay a secure foundation for the time when childhood may be stolen away; perhaps through the death of a loved one, sickness, or calamity.  Children need informed instruction, and models of heroes and heroines of righteousness to fill their reserves for such a time.  In literature as well as in history, God who doeth all things well, must be seen through the filter of His divine love and tender care of His children and as an avenger of all who harden their neck.”   (As quoted in “Education of a Child: The Wisdom of Fenelon,” edited by Mark Hamby.)

Literature, art, music, nature study – these are so vital to “ignite the delight” in a child’s education!  But they must be worthy!  Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

In some ways, it would be easier to not study or stretch the brain at all.  I could just function at the bare minimum level of housework, childcare, and isolated academic skills, but I envision more for myself and more for my family.   I want us to be deep thinkers.  “Readers make leaders!”  If I want my children to be thoughtful and vigorous readers, I must set the example.  This summer I’ve had the opportunity to read voraciously, and I know I am going to be in serious withdrawal next week when school starts and I can’t spend as much time in my favorite chair by the new bookcase the children and I put up a few weeks ago. 

My friend Beverly Rejonis lent me a book that I’ve been trying in vain to get through the library system.  Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth D. Dodds is the stirring story of a devoted couple who had maximum impact on 18^th century society.   Jonathan and Sarah Edwards totally fascinate me, and I read all I can find about them.  He was colonial America’s foremost theologian, considered by many to be one of the best thinkers of any historical age.   Sarah was his beautiful, well-educated (at home), and capable wife.  They had 11 children; their generations of descendents are among our countries most notable citizens.   Both had a keen sense of beauty and aesthetics.  They loved literature, art, music, and nature studies, and successfully imparted this to their children through home education.  They also loved chocolate, which makes them very intelligent in my estimation!  World Magazine did an article about him, which I think you will find interesting: “Jonathan Edwards, Pleasure Seeker” http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12058

Of Jonathan and Sarah’s courtship, their biographer writes: “Sarah shared Edwards’ sensitivity to the beauty of their surroundings.  In those days, New Haven, which was contained between two high rock formations and faced the endless variety of the sea, was a fortunate setting for two confirmed walkers.  When winter turned life inward, there beauty surrounded them too.  New Englanders had learned early how to wrap coziness around them against the outdoor chill.  In the handsome Pierrepont house, fireplaces in each room not only held off cold but provided glowing centers of light that glinted in brightly polished brass andirons and cherrywood tables.  Snug inside when November sleet fell, Jonathan and Sarah discovered that they could talk comfortably about books together.  Sarah introduced Edwards to her own copy of a book by Peter Maastricht which was to influence Edwards’ thought about the nature of the Covenant.  Edwards’ enthusiasm about the Yale Library made Sarah’s father purr, for that was a project close to the heart of James Pierrepont.”

What is the learning atmosphere in our homes?  Are they places where great books are read to one another in the evening (or at any other time), where lullabies and hymns are sung, where fine art books are contentedly browsed through on the couch, or where an older sister thinks to put on classical music so a tiny brother and sister can grow up with a bit of culture?  We can have it if we choose it.  Even if we don’t own all the resources we would like, we can always go to the library or take a field trip.

On Thursday, I took four of my younger children to see the Eric Carle illustration exhibit, which ends tomorrow (August 13) at the Orlando Museum of Art.  They, like generations of children before them, enjoyed his bright tissue paper collages of animals featured in books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  (Your children can find out more about how he creates his art at his VERY informative web site http://www.eric-carle.com/)    In the middle of the gallery, among comfy reading chairs, were piles of his picture books for the children to enjoy – a fitting juxtaposition of art, literature and nature study.   An information panel informed patrons that Carle was inspired in his vibrant artistry by a kindergarten teacher whose encouragement carried him through the rest of his dull years of education.  How much will our words of affirmation mean to our children, for whom we will be primary teacher for so many years?

I want my children to not only appreciate the work of others, but to be creative themselves.  Whatever we are doing seems to be working so far!  Some are more musical, some more literary, some more into the visual arts, but each one has found a niche or two.  Whether it is a pennywhistle performance, a colored pencil drawing, a pattern block design, a piano minuet, a zany impromptu skit, or a tasty ethnic meal – my life is enriched by the abundant fruits of their creativity! 

Marriages can be nourished by beauty, too.  Thad and I took a quick getaway to St. Augustine – just the two of us!   That’s where we honeymooned so long ago, so it’s a special spot for us.  Yes!  We spent much of our time strolling through museums, art galleries, and quaint shops, soaking up… BEAUTY!  Oh, how our souls are restored through this!   Thank God for art!  And thank God for a husband who appreciates it enough to take his time enjoying it with me!  We especially enjoyed “Brilliance in Color”, which is one of the Cutter family galleries.  http://www.lovesemporium.com/contact.php

As much as Thad and I enjoyed our time away, most of our married days are lived right here at home.  And this house is right where I, as the homemaker, need to cultivate domestic beauty.  Like it or not, this starts with basic order – the mundane tasks of scrubbing, vacuuming, organizing, laundering, even replenishing toilet paper – because a messy home is not a beautiful home!  Then there are the little touches – like aroma!  I brought two fragrant sachets home to put in my dresser drawers, but after everyone in the family commented on the luscious scent, I decided to put one in the kitchen for all to savor.  Just a wee thing, but it makes a difference!

My heroine, Sarah Edwards, excelled in keeping her home and showing hospitality to an endless stream of houseguests.   Elisabeth Dodds says of her: “Actually the Edwardses lived frugally, but it was instinctive with Sarah to do the ordinary tasks with flair.  She was the kind of woman who took the trouble to tie her hair with a ribbon for breakfast when many wives came down tousled; who spent an extra minute to stamp a design on a block of home-churned butter; who knew how to give a flourish to simple dishes with parsley, spearmint, or sage, all grown in a square of herbs by the kitchen door; who, when she had a bowl of peas to shell, would take it out into the sunshine in the garden.  She put in day lilies, hollyhocks, pansies, pinks -- the flowers women loved to plant on the frontier, for it gave them a sense of putting down roots.”

I confess that I am not half the woman Sarah was in the home realm, but that is my aspiration, by the grace of God.  May we all fill our homes – and our hearts – with his beauty.

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P.S. Recently searching for a quiet bedroom to make a phone call, I noticed something rather unusual on my 17 year old daughter Julia’s wall.  Surrounding a Bolivian sugar sack which she bought on a mission trip last year, she had taped up a whole bunch of newspaper photos of people around the world who are suffering from war, famine, injustice, and natural disasters.  My eyes welled with tears when I realized why she had done this, because the next thing my eyes saw was the book, heavily marked and highlighted throughout, on her nightstand: Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road by Timothy J. Keller.  There are a lot of things I wish I had taught my children all throughout their home school years, but I’m glad to see that they are at least developing hearts for compassion, service, and world missions.  In my eyes, that is beauty.

I guess you know by now that I love biographies.  My friend Debbie Klinect lent me Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noël Piper.   I have copied long passages from it in my journal; it is manna to my soul to read how, during the course of their ministries, God changed the lives of Sarah Edwards (colonial America), Lilias Trotter (Algeria), Esther Ahn Kim (Korea), Gladys Aylward (China), and Helen Roseveare (the Congo).  These women, most of whom went through horrendous circumstances as they sacrificially served the Lord, possessed inner beauty which inspires my imagination.  They became pure refined gold, vessels fit for noble use by their Matchless King.   Isn’t this what we want for ourselves and our children?

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“Beautiful”

from McGuffey’s Second Reader

Beautiful faces are they that wear

The light of a pleasant spirit there;

Beautiful hands are they that do

Deeds that are noble, good and true;

Beautiful feet are they that go

Swiftly to lighten another’s woe.

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“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In Me”

Albert Orsburn

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
All His wonderful passion and purity;
O Thou Spirit Divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

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