The more I dwell on the story that I shared in Answering 'when am I ever going to us this stuff?", the more I am amazed that everything we do in our little home schools is all about God. Whatever we are learning (or not learning) the Lord will use to glorify His name. The math, the science, the art, the language, all of it.
While we try to help our children see His plan and purpose for studying these subjects, it is thrilling to know that God already knows how they will use that knowledge and those tools to bring glory to His kingdom! Isn't that so exciting! Do you believe that every child - every child - is walking this earth because God has a specific purpose for their lives? He put my children and yours exactly where He wants them.
God gave us these children and placed them in this exact family already knowing our weaknesses and our circumstances. (KNOWING that certainly there must be moms out there that are much better at homeschooling than we are - right )
God put Betsie & Corrie Ten Boom in their family because He knew that He was going to impress upon their father the need to teach his children the Bible in German, and that 40 years later those girls would have a chance to share the hope and peace of Jesus Christ with others amidst unspeakable human horror with people who spoke only German.
Was the Ten Boom family perfect? I am sure that they were far from it. While they were full of love for one another, humor, and a love of the Lord, they might have been really bad at math! They might have never studied Homer or knew about King Tut. But God knew what they would need.
Am I saying that we can then just teach them the Bible and forget all the rest? Absolutely not! Only God knows their future and knows what knowledge and tools they will need to fulfill His purpose. Your whiz at science might one day help further creationism, your grammar guy may reach those who don't know Christ through his writing, your social butterfly may lead people to the Lord with their love for others. You never know how God will use what you are teaching today.
Some days I feel wholly inadequate to teach my children and the thought of failure strikes fear in my heart. But God is not surprised by our feelings of inadequacy, our percieved gaps in our children's education, our busy-ness, or our lack of "expertise" in certain subjects.
God is not surprised by any of it.
If we truly are striving to bring our children up "in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4) then the Lord will forgive our weaknesses, He will open our eyes to blind spots, He will convict us of wasted time and foolish pursuits, He will provide needed resources, and He will strengthen our efforts.
That is who God is - and isn't it amazing!
That was a wonderful story. Corrie Ten Boom (and her family) has been a great example in so many ways.
Thank you for the comment at my blog. I would so much like to talk to you about TJEd. What do you not like? What parts do you use? I will apply the fruit of the Spirit and restrain myself from asking ALL my questions! :-)
Great post! So many parents worry about the gaps in their children's learning as if those gaps can't be filled after graduation. Several years ago I was worried about all that I still needed to teach my daughter but not the academics, the character training and the heart matters. She graduates this year and I am amazed at what she learned in spite of me.
This is a wonderfully timely post for me today. As you know, I am a new homeschooling mom. I'm a step mom to my husband's 7yr. old daughter from his first marriage. Her birth mother is Wiccan. Today was our first day home from visiting her family in Missouri, my husband's parents as well as her mother and half sister.
While we were down there she asked the question of why couldn't we live there? Her mom had gone home at this point and it was just her grandma and me there to answer. The reply from her grandmother was a simple, jobs are hard to find here. I agreed and she then asked why daddy couldn't just work at Wal-Mart. So Grandma told her Wal-Mart wasn't a very good job.
Today she asked me about it again and I told her that this was what God had planned for us right now. It was a very long conversation about God's plan and that the devil will always try to interfere with those plans, but that we need to be strong and believe that there was a reason she was living here with us.
I explained that her mom didn't believe in God and that he must have much planned for her and that he chose me to be the one to help her find that path. She then wondered if her half sister believed in God. I was honest and told her I didn't know. She said that she was going to tell her about him. I told her that God would like that very much.
It was a wonderful conversation and it even helped me to realize that although I had never planned to get married or have children, I wanted a career in Anthropology, God had other plans for me and I was very happy with the life God had provided me. I assured her that I wouldn't trade my family for anything. Thanks for the great assurance of this post!
I'm finally catching up on posts and comments. ;')
What a wonderful, thoughtful entry! I love how it seems everything you write would be something I could enjoy, learn from, or share in somehow. You are such a blessing to me...even if you are a gazillion miles away. :'))
We are a homeschooling family raising 4 boys in Virginia. This blog is mostly about anything relevant to raising boys or homeschooling in general - but every once in a while I can't help but add some nonsense from our daily life.
)
Posted by
Posted by
Posted by
Posted by
Posted by
Posted by
Mar. 22, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Thank you for the comment at my blog. I would so much like to talk to you about TJEd. What do you not like? What parts do you use? I will apply the fruit of the Spirit and restrain myself from asking ALL my questions! :-)