Well, I think I'm going to live....still having a cough, but not feeling as badly. Thanks for re-reading this post from July.
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This question has been resounding in my spirit for a few weeks now. In separate conversations with home educating moms, this question was a heart-cry of three different people.
“Every night when I lay down to sleep, I just worry, ‘Today, have I done everything I could to direct and teach my children?’” “How do I know I’ve covered everything that needs to be covered?” “Am I doing enough or requiring too much?”
These are legitimate questions, but also ones that can bind us up in frustration and insecurities that will only pull us and our children down. Most of us are concerned that we’ll forget to teach some academic subject or an area that will end up being a hindrance to our children’s future. We feel that deep responsibility to make sure we’re “covering it all”. Guess what? We won’t cover it all. We’ll leave gaps. There will be things we forget, don’t know to teach, or don’t do a very good job teaching. And if we’re fearful and concerned at night or at the end of a school year that we somehow failed, maybe our focus is on the wrong thing.
Is our real goal as home educating moms to raise superior academics, straight A students, cum Laude college grads? Or has God called us to raise children whose hearts are completely turned toward Him? To guide them into a heritage of love and godliness that will continue long after we’re gone?
At the end of the day, or the end of 12th grade, my goal is to have poured my love into my children’s hearts. To have shown them the importance of choosing for themselves a life dedicated to a relationship with Jesus. To make opportunities for their character to be challenged to become the men and women that God has called them to be. I’ve seen the fruit of that goal lived out in the lives of my 19-28 year old children. What a blessing!
Did we leave gaps in teaching our children? Of course. Plenty. But God is faithful to teach them everything we didn't or couldn't. After all, He loves them even more than we do!
EVERYTHING that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. 2 Peter 1:3 NLT
But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak."
2 Cor. 12:9 NIRV
This is sweet! I have enjoyed reading your posts ever since I met this woman at our campus who God has really just given me a heart for...she's super sweet & is homeschooling her daughter, but it always makes me wonder...it's kinda cool to connect somehow, or to kinda understand where she may be at. Thanks Mama Meadows!
ReplyDeleteI spend much time wrestling with these questions of education. I like your thoughts here. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYES! That is definitely something God is showing me in this season of life...be DELIBERATE in all the roles I'm given.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, Robin. Hope you feel better!
ReplyDeleteYEAH ROBIN! Thank you so much for this post. My sister and I are leaving tomorrow to go to a women's conference. We are doing one of the breakout sessions and we're talking to women about homeschool. Really it's a seminar for those "on the fence" I might just have to print out this post for them! Good thoughts. I stuggle with this a lot. Thanks for the encouragment.
ReplyDeleteThis is so timely! God always brings my focus back to this very thing when I get off track. Our relationship with our kids is our highest priority where they are concerned...nothing else compares in importance. I just love your heart!
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