Parental Testing

By Lisa Mikitarian

Last night I gave my teeth a thorough brushing. I gargled and flossed. I even scraped my tongue. I was preparing for my annual torture at the dentist's office. Am I this conscientious every evening? Doesn't Sam wish?

If you had called me two weeks ago, you would have interrupted my pantry organizing, and refrigerator scrubbing. My mother-in-law was coming to watch our children so Sam and I could take a trip. Am I cleaning maniacally this week? Doesn't Sam wish?

Two weeks ago, I didn't let a cookie, cake, or double cheeseburger pass my disciplined lips. I enlisted friends to keep me company during grueling exercise sessions. You see, I have this one exquisite formal dress that my mother-in-law bought for me, oh, ten or twelve years ago. It's the perfect cut for me and I will be hard-pressed to replace it. I would need that dress on our vacation, and I was going to fit into it. Am I this disciplined in my eating and exercise habits every week? Doesn't Sam wish?

Every April, I am “Teacher of the Year”. I prepare, teach, correct, review and hold my students accountable. April is testing month. Is my behavior consistent throughout the year? Doesn't Sam wish?

I have the best of intentions in September, but something happens by October. Not every assignment is corrected and there begins my downfall from excellent to good/mediocre. I fluctuate between those two points with occasional flashes of brilliance until April. This downfall leads to guilt and guilt to self-doubt and before you know it, I’m crying on Sam’s shoulder that maybe I’m not equipped to home school our children.

I know standardized tests do not present an accurate reflection of our home schooling year. I do, though, use it to gauge how we are doing. In fact, I also utilize the dentist, my Mother-in-law, and the dress, to gauge how I'm doing in those particular areas.

Do I seriously think the week of cramming will make a significant difference? Who would I be fooling? Could I possibly thrust into one week all the activities I should have been doing consistently all along? (I think the dentist can tell when someone has been faithful--some might call it obsessive--about her dental hygiene program.) These activities require my CONSISTENT dedication in order to see results.

This concept is called the "The Law of the Farm". I don't know who coined the phrase, but I like it. It refers to the natural law which happens on a farm. It takes TIME to prepare soil, sow seeds, fertilize, and water a field. You can’t sit idly for months and then cram into one week all the aforementioned steps. It does not matter how special you think you are, how much money you have or how many cheat codes to which you have access; you will not have a harvest. Period. It's the Law of the Farm.

Now for some good news: will the crop fall apart if you miss a single watering? No. You only have to be mostly consistent over a long period of time. More importantly, even when we are not faithful, we have a faithful Lord who waters us and guides us to grow in His light. Children and parents are in His capable care.

When I think of Christ, I wonder what things I would do if I knew He was returning next week. I would not floss, scrub, exercise, or school. Does this mean these activities should not be priorities?

Don’t I wish?