That first year was a very full year. I went to a lot of homeschool meetings and listened to a lot of wonderful teaching on homeschooling. I soaked up books on how to teach children. I got my hands on as much curriculum as I could in my quest to find the best out there. Our school days were full. We joyfully worked through the entire Kindergarten curriculum in the first half of the year, and looked about for more. I was thrilled.
So what happened? I slowed down. I don’t know how long my son could have kept up the pace, perhaps all the way into college, perhaps not; that isn’t the point. I had begun to question what I was trying to do, and I came up with an answer. I was trying to ‘build’ an Einstein.
Thankfully, the Lord was prompting my heart. The speakers that I found myself listening to were dealing with keeping the ‘home’ in our education, with letting a child ‘play their way’ through science, and ‘keeping it relaxed’ in our homeschool approach. The books I began to read were all centered on enjoying your child, spending quality time, and BEING AN EXAMPLE OF CHRIST to them. As I started to look at my heart, I realized that the example I was setting was more the example of a teacher than of a Christian or a mother. My emphasis was wrong. I started asking myself the ultimate question of whose will was I fulfilling, mine or God’s? As I asked that question I came up with a few additional questions. Did I want a child that was educated but unable to relate to people? Did I really want my child to go to college early? Was that what God had in store for him? It was after I started asking God what I should be teaching my child, and what I should be expecting from him, that I truly began to homeschool my son.
Einstein-ism, is an easy trap to fall into. It doesn’t happen only to beginning homeschool parents. It doesn’t affect only parents with young children. You see, at times I still have to revisit the same issue. I find myself pushing my child, expecting more at times than they are able to give. There have been times when I have yelled, times when I have berated, and sometimes even just given up on my child. Each one of those responses represent my responding in the flesh, not in the spirit. Each one reflects a response when I was more concerned with my expectations, than what was right for my child. I had once again fallen into Einstein-ism. You see, Einstein represents the world’s standard. Making ‘smart’ kids, making sure they can handle college level by 9th grade, making sure they have all the right subjects, get straight A’s, complete that book… it all boils down to the same thing; the world’s standard. There have been countless times when I have caught myself falling under the pressure of the world’s standard, when what I really needed was to get back on my knees and seek the Lord for how to get a point across, which material to use, when to let a difficult lesson go for a time.
My son is now in college.
There were times I was tempted to make him memorize spelling lists of 30 a week, to know the presidents and vice-presidents in order, and don't forget their wives! In high school there was a lot of temptation because we wanted it to look good on the transcripts. Thankfully, the Lord has been my faithful guide, and we made it through to college without burning him out or turning him into a walking encyclopedia. He gets along great with people, has a great sense of humor, and most important of all, he loves the Lord and is seeking His will for his own life. I know that the Lord will use him for His plans and purposes; my son’s heart is sensitive to the Lord. When it comes down to it, shouldn’t that be the standard?
I am not writing this to stand in front of you a knight in shining armor, an example to follow. I am writing this to challenge you to look at each one of your children… and pray over each one! God already knows what they should be as adults. He knows what material will best meet their needs. He knows the precious special qualities that He will use in their lives; He designed each one with all of that in mind. Why not go to the source? I am writing this, to point you to the ultimate source for each of your children, the very God who gives us, and them, life.
UP FRONT AND DOWN TO IT - Or... Your homework assignment. Please answer the following questions honestly; you are the only one reading the answers.
1.) Have I ever spent time asking the Lord to show you what He sees in your child? (Each of your children?)
How often do you pray for each child?
a.) many times throughout each day
b.) every day
c.) at least once a week
d.) a couple of times a month
e.) here and there
f.) I have once
g.) this is a new thought
You are a homeschool parent, you can grade your own answers. I hope that each of you take time to pray for each of your children. Remember, the Lord loves your child more than you do; how awesome to share with Him about your child.
2.) List a special ability, talent, or quality about each of your children. Pray and ask the Lord to show you how to develop that quality further. (If you can’t list a special talent or quality, keep praying for the Lord to show you what is special about your child.)
3.) Pray for each of your children that they would stay pure; be free from the evils around them in this world; have hearts that are softened toward Him; walk with Him all the days of their lives; know and understand His will for their lives.
4.) Pray for the future spouse of each of your children. Pray as above for that future spouse. Even though you don’t know who that may be, God does. Pray for them. Pray for both your child and that future spouse that they would each learn what they need to know in order to be all that they can be for each other and for Him.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Get going… move on your knees!
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