I love being home with my children! I love being able to have the opportunity to teach them at home and to raise them up in the ways of the Lord. If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I am very passionate about homeschooling. But what about those days when homeschooling isn’t for me? We typically have at least one day a week, when the school work, the lesson plans, and the projects get tossed aside. We have to toss the Goodyear Homeschool so that we can work on a little Goodyear heart.
Wednesday was a typical day for us. We got started on our math around 9AM. Normally it takes me one hour to get math done with all the kids. The twins don’t really have a “math curriculum”, but they sort colors, count, and make patterns with our Math U See blocks. It took 1 hour and 34 minutes just to get math done with one of my older kids. This would not have been a huge problem if this child didn’t KNOW how to do the math that we were working on. His heart was in the wrong place. He wasn’t teachable Wednesday. For whatever reason his heart was up and ready for a fight, and he wanted to argue with everything that I was trying to teach him. I became quickly frustrated, and this back and forth resulted in a very long, and drug out math session.
That evening I was reflecting back on our morning math disaster when it suddenly hit me that not only was he unwilling to be taught, I wasn’t willing to teach. I had other things that needed to be done. Four other children needed to do math, PLUS the reading, English, and spelling. My heart was not in the right place. I was ready for a fight and I was going to argue back with everything that he had to say. I chose to ignore the clear heart issues we were having. My goal at that moment during that lesson veered off course. I was focused on the Math, not my child.
It’s NOT the math that matters – it’s the heart. It’s their character. I can’t teach their heart when I’m not focused on their heart. If I’m not focused on winning their heart – then there is an issue with MY heart.
Too often I forget that I am surrounded by little hearts that don’t know Christ yet. That’s my job, to show them Christ. I need to be teaching their hearts, and bringing them to scripture. We don’t do everything without arguing and complaining because mom says so – we do it because God says so.
It is easy as a homeschooler to get caught up with the academics in our home. I’m here to let you know that I fail often. I’m sure that you fail often. God gives grace! Please be encouraged as I was encouraged as you remember the patience that our Heavenly Father has with us. He is teaching us, and leading us, so that we might better serve Him. He was trying to teach me during our math lesson the other day, yet I was being unreachable. Remember their hearts when dealing with a battle of the wills. Remember their hearts when that preschooler needs a spanking – again. Remember their hearts when their toys aren’t picked up, even though you’ve told them countless times already today. Remember their hearts when the math doesn’t click. Remember their hearts when the reading doesn’t come easy. Remember their hearts when you don’t want to be respectful to your husband. Remember their hearts when you’re tired. Remember their hearts when you have dishes to do. Remember their hearts when your schedule isn’t going as planned. Remember their hearts, remember scripture, remember grace, and just simply lead them to the cross in all that you do. Nothing else matters. It’s the heart issues that count not the math. It begins with OUR hearts. Turn your heart to scripture and prayer, and He will equip you to lead theirs.
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