Seeing the Fruit and Homeschool Encouragement....for me

I wish I could follow my kids today.  The older two are off to meet the next two at their worldview camp.  Amazingly, my oldest son is the speaker tonight.  He just read me his talk and it was hard for me to not want to cry as I heard his own testimony of faith.  You never know as a parent if you are doing the right things, making the right decisions, especially when you aren't doing what everyone else is doing.  Yet today, he spoke out about all the different things we did, from homeschooling, to Bible quizzing, to the worldview camps, and he credited those as the major influences in his life that led him to where he is today in his faith.  Wow.  I can only thank the Lord for His grace in our lives as we hoped that would be the case, but had no experience.  I was going to write "no guarantee" except we had God's Word and His promises, but it was all by faith when we first made those decisions.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord.

He was asked to speak tonight about his experience at university and how as a Christian he has made it through so far without losing his faith as the statistics say that most will walk away.  He had so many atheistic and evolutionary experiences in the last two years.  It truly is amazing that he has finished his second year somewhat unscathed.  These worldview camps have played a big role in prepping him and my other kids.  I'm grateful that years ago, some mom and her family, created the first camp as she wanted something like this for her kids, but it didn't exist so she started it up.  Thank you Gisele!  I actually ended up writing the creator of the camp to thank her personally as she didn't have to start up these camps.  She could have kept it all to herself, but she didn't and the impact of her making the decision to share her wisdom and knowledge blessed so many of us.

So, I don't get to go, but I wish I could!  I hate that they can drive now in some ways as I get excluded all the time!  Oh the irony.....I wish they could drive, is what I used to think.  Now, it's I wish they didn't drive???  Oh well...my son is off getting all his final vaccinations today for Africa.  Though we shouldn't be surprised, we are somewhat in shock that all his money came in - above and beyond what he needed.  But isn't that how God often does it?

My next few days will involve the final prep for my homeschool year.  Each year I feel overwhelmed and even full of panic as it doesn't come naturally for me to pick curriculum, to plan, to organize.  I just wish someone would do it for me.  But then I had some moms over that were at the beginning of their homeschool journey and I just need to listen to all the ways I encouraged them.  And I need to keep myself in the Word for the regular encouragement I receive when I read it.

I was reading 1 Thessalonians 1-3 this week and I swear Paul wrote it to a homeschooling mom.  There were multiple verses that jumped out at me.  Here's just a few:

"....remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope....." - that is homeschooling in a nutshell - a work of faith, labour of love and a job requiring steadfastness of hope as there are days where it seems hopeless!

"....For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you...."  - He chose me to do this.  I know I'm loved by God.  I can do this.

".....also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction...."  - I cannot do this in my own strength.  It's fully impossible without His help.  And I must remember the "full conviction" I received so many years ago.

"....for you received the word in much affliction...."  - homeschooling can feel like much affliction almost on a daily basis.  Hardest thing I've ever done.  But why am I surprised at the affliction?  It's guaranteed!

"....but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God...." - Oh yeah, I'm not doing this for the approval of man, but for God.  Great reminder.

"...but Satan hindered us...." - Yes, the enemy will try to hinder me.  He tries to hinder any good work that is trying to do something for the Kingdom of God.

"Therefore when we could bear it no longer...." Hmm, even Paul had days like that where he could "bear it no longer".  Even that phrase encouraged me that there are going to be those days ahead this year.

"...that no one be moved by these afflictions.  For you yourselves know that we are destined for this...." - that is my prayer for this year, that I will not be moved by those hard days, or the days of planning, but instead to know I'm destined for this.

"...for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you....."  Oh yes, that happens a lot.  I sometimes listen to the tempter's voice that says all the lies that I start to believe about myself, my inadequacy, my insecurities, my fears....so many.  But that forms another prayer that I wouldn't be tempted by the tempter.

"For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord."  Another great prayer for the year - help me to stand fast in the Lord, not in myself.

"...as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith."  Paul prayed night and day.  I should, too.  The people he was praying for needed him in person.  May God give me "in person" encouragement, too, this year, from other moms and other resources.  Those people lacked faith.  So do I.  May God give me what I need when my faith is lacking.

"Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another...."  Perfect.  That's it!  I need God himself to run my school, in person.  He directed Paul's way to those people.  He can direct whatever He wants to me to help me, too.  He can increase my love for my kids and for what I do each day.  He can make my own kids' love abound for me and for each other.  In some ways, I'm off the hook!  It's not my homeschool, it's His.  It's not my job, it's His!  I do my part, He does the rest.  Whew.  The panic I felt before reading that dissipated.  Did Paul the apostle know when he wrote those passages that they would one day encourage a homeschool mom?  I don't think so, but God knew and I'm convinced those passages were there that day just for me.  

Little feet are running around now upstairs.  My quiet prep time is over.  I'll have to send them outside all day.....