 Right now, I am sitting at the table writing this while helping my five-year-old figure out how to count sets of tens and ones. At the same time, I am working with my high schooler on his essay for the week. In between, I have an 8th grader, a 5th grader and a 3rd grader here with me–all needing help in one way or another. I am popping up and down to take one aside and talk to them about their behavior. I am sitting back down to type a sentence. I pop up again to help one with handwriting. I sit back down and answer a child’s question and maybe get in another sentence. I lovingly call this, “popcorn parenting.” At least I am getting some exercise, right? Sometimes I feel like I am just spinning my wheels while craving rest.
No doubt about it, homeschooling can be challenging. But because I know my convictions about why I have my children here with me, and because I know the Scriptures I stand on about home education, it is a challenge I choose to love.
Even in the popping up and down and the noise and the chaos, I choose contentment and joyful obedience. I love joyful obedience in my children, and God loves it in me. And when I am weak, He strongly supports me. He strongly supports those whose hearts are fully His. (2 Chron. 16:9)
I know you value your children more than anyone on this earth ever could, and I know you want the very best for them because you love them. YOU are the very best for them. I don’t even have to give you all the statistics out there to prove that–you already know it in your heart.
I was talking to a mom this weekend explaining that sometimes the years of having all the children at home can feel like you are in survival mode, trying to make it through one day at a time. But as I thought about that, and how quickly the years fly, those are the best of times. We need a new perspective. Instead of these years being the “survival” years, you can look at them as the “revival” years. God is reviving a generation that is joyfully obeying His commands and raising a revived generation that will honor Him with their lives.
Don’t give in to defeat. Value your children enough to change your outlook from survival to revival. Go forth with joy and strength. If you don’t have either, then you must run back to God for those things. Lack of these two things really shows a lack of relationship with the living God. Go back to Him and stay close to His side. Make worship a priority and you will begin to feel the revival in your heart.
Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk ye of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:9-11)
I value my children and our relationship together. God values me and my relationship with Him. Both are a challenge to maintain, but it is love that keeps me coming back for more. Keep loving, keep serving, keep obeying. Keep them Home Where they Belong.
~Deborah
dwuehler@theoldschoolhouse.com
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