Clay

Teacher. Not an official title I thought I would add to my resume outside the role as mom/teacher. As this new school year comes forward my husband and I have decided we will be homeschooling our children. This has not come lightly in our home. As well with any decision we make in this home it comes with countless hours of prayer, and until God confirms, denies, and aligns our hearts do we make known our decision to others. God aligned our hearts a few weeks back and so here we are.

Jared and I love public schools. He and I went to public schools. My experience was amazing, yes amazing, even in middle school! I love people, so of course I loved school. Jared‘s was a bit different, not terrible, but more as he didn’t take it very serious and that he regrets. My mom was a teacher most my life and so I was surrounded by men and woman who loved kids and took so much pride in their job! My mother worked in different elementary schools, but mostly in an early childhood center. There was always opportunities for me to be there and help. It always amazed me the way this staff loved unconditionally and helped kids, which most kids there literally had nothing. When they went home we didn’t know if they had a warm bed, food or even hug, but maybe the extreme opposite. That’s hard as a teacher, and even when I was a child for my mom convey to me. My little brain couldn’t understand abuse, neglect or poverty at that age. School was a safe place for most these kiddos. My mom and the team at that school did understand this, and those 8 hours those kids where with them they made sure they forgot about all that. This is the community I am currently in. It’s beyond poverty. We have many friends who are teachers, but even those we don’t call friends are an amazing staff at the public school. Jesus is shared, unconditional love is given. The staff sees where these kiddos are at, at all grade levels, and empty themselves daily to love on all these kids. God has blessed our community with amazing school staff! God brought them here for His purpose and it’s to give these kids something they may not see anywhere else.

Homeschooling isn’t a new thing. Covid hasn’t created home school. Has home school now been a huge topic of conversation? Yes. Covid has made a lot of us sit back with our families and evaluate where our heart, security and fears lie. It’s challenging a lot of people who are strong in faith, and even more than those who may not be. It’s amplifying voices that think they may have the answers, or what’s best for most of us. This is the deal. God has not changed. Covid or not He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He does NOT care what Susan in Hamilton is doing, or Beth in Allegan or even Lindsay in Fennville is doing with her family, BUT He does care about our hearts. He cares about us being His mission field wherever we are. God wants us to walk in obedience with Him. That can be in school, home school or partial school. As followers of Christ school begins with our kids as soon as they are born. It starts in our marriage and how we portray that to our kids. It’s starts with husbands leading their wives. We all “home school” all day if we want to get real. God is the ultimate teacher and if we don’t understand that first, then it doesn’t matter what your family chooses to do. We need to understand obedience to His word. Allow Him to direct your lives. He will convict your husband and self with what needs to be done. If not married, then I challenge you to get into His word and prayer for what He desires of you. These questions should always be asked as we examine ourselves. Where is my heart? Where is my obedience? Am I even asking God what He wants?

Lets put it out there. Not everyone can stay home and not work. Not everyone even wants to do that if they can. Many don’t feel led to home school, many do. Many are scared to do anything, and some just want life to be back to what it was in February. God meets us where we are at. He knows where we all are at. Not where someone on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube thinks you should be at. Are there great Godly woman who can help navigate some new normal for you? Yes! The key is they will help navigate you through the lens of Christ, not through their personal beliefs that can easily be backed by scripture. God will bring you a community of woman in school, home school or other to help encourage and build up.

Jared and I teach our kids. Constantly. It’s what we are called to do. It’s what followers are called to do. In school or not. Our kids learn who our Heavenly father is and what He desires of us. Kids are those mold-able pieces of clay that need to be molded into Gods image. Through Him is the key. God knows and knew that this wasn’t going to be something many families are able to do. Not everyone follows God. Even those who do aren’t all called to home school. IT IS OK!!! I say that for you mommas who think you’re failing if you don’t. Before anyone rebukes and states homeschooling can be done anytime of day or when. Yes totally agree. I’m talking about 90% or more of the community I live in don’t even understand this concept. Who aren’t “Christian”. God knew that. God has raised up amazing teachers in our community, whom we personally know love Jesus, and that is who they get to show to these kiddos on a regular basis. There is, however, also Christ following families who have to work, don’t feel called, and send their kids to school. That’s great! That’s THEIR choice. I can’t act or even question their choice in that. That’s between them and God, not me. Are we all able to come together and support each other where we are at in these times? Yes!

Satan right now is using all these decisions as divisions of the church. I’ve seen relationships get questioned, and arguments start for no reason, but because a choice a family made didn’t align with someone else’s. Why? This allows Satan to win, not home school, public school or even God in us. How useful are we then? Woman have come to me in doubt, questioning if they’re a good mom, have I been wrong, am I that less obedient, am I bad if I have to work, we love Jesus, but maybe not enough? It breaks my heart that these woman feel less than, because they aren’t “following” what some families may be choosing. We need to continue to allow Him to be the potter of our family and He will turn it into a one of kind piece formed from His hands.

Chose God. Allow Him to guide your family! This is a huge opportunity for husbands to step up in their authority role, lead their families in the way God has specifically called them to. It’s different than what our family looks like. Each family has a different look. That’s how God designed it. God calls us to be different not conform, and that means not only with world, but with what that other “Christian” family looks like. For someone to send their kids to public school does not mean they are conforming to the world. Let’s get that straight. It means they are making a decision they feel is best for their family. We can’t play God and act like that’s wrong, or our way is better. We just love everyone where they are at! Jared has wanted us to home school since our babies where born. He listened to God and didn’t push his authority over me, but knew God asked Him to allow me to grow in certain areas. Let God prepare me. We see why this needed to happen. God had a lot of work to prepare me for this season. Some think that I wasn’t listening to my husband, and that is wrong. Nope. Jared said he knew that even though that was what he wanted, it wasn’t Gods timing for us. We all have wants, desires, but they need to be in Gods time. He could’ve not listened to God and pushed me, but then we most likely would have failed our children in some form. That’s all hypothetical. The reason I bring that up is the obedience aspect. We seek God in all things. He gives the green and red lights on things. Not a friend, blogger, youtuber, or anyone else to make a decision for your family. In Closing, friends, as I conclude just know that we pray constantly for everyone in and out of the school systems. Times are harder than ever right now. There’s always going to be something, the key is to cling to Jesus. Cling to His truth! If you seek His will for your family, then you can’t go wrong! Pray for your community, the schools, staff, and students. Let’s come together and live like Christ, not dispute each other on what we believe.

Scripture to dive into:

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64:8‬ ‭

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13:34‬ ‭

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13:5‬ ‭

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭

“So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:21‬ ‭

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer for today:

Father God,

Please forgive our hearts. Please show mercy on us as we navigate this “new” normal in our everyday lives. Father we know you are the giver and taker so please take away any hate in our hearts. Even any discontentment. Let us imitate your love to others! God we fall short all the time. With so many tough decisions being made, Lord I ask that you challenge us to be listeners not prescribers. Father align couples hearts in what you desire of their families. Bring peace to kids around the world, as they are being raised in strange times. Comfort then. Help us during these times to be one another’s advocate not enemy. Lord challenge my own heart to continue to find peace in our decision this year. We know that can change next year as we seek your wisdom continually.

We love you Lord and we always think we know what’s best, but that is never true. Help us to allow families to seek you, not our opinions. Helps us steward every kids you have in our lives, whether at home, school or church. Let them only see you in us! Lord I just love you. Thank you for always being the best teacher anyone can have. Help us to continue to be the clay that you form into your perfect design.

In your oh so Holy and precious name,

Lindsay

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