When I was a new mother an elderly woman at our church
wrote this verse from Isaiah 40 in a card she gave me:
'He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs
in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that
have young.'
.
I took that verse to heart along with some others over
the twenty-five years of mothering and twenty years of homeschooling that
followed.
I've had to remind myself throughout those years that He
is a Shepherd and He leads.
It hasn't meant that I haven't had to work at mothering
and homeschooling, but it has meant that I didn't need to be driven by
unrealistic expectations or the influence of others.
I've been mulling on some thoughts related to this and
found these dictionary definitions helpful.
To Drive:
To compel or urge forward by other means than absolute physical force, or by means that compel the will; as, to drive cattle to market.
To impel to greater speed; to hurry on inconsiderately; to distress; to impel by the influence of passion; to keep in motion.
Drive in all it's senses, implies forcible or violent action. It is opposed to lead.
I've seen the pendulum swing all over the place during the years I've been homeschooling and many times I've swung along with it. I haven't personally met any homeschooling mother who didn't want the best for her children, but this very desire is often what causes us to be most vulnerable and to take on burdens we shouldn't be carrying.
We home-schooled for many years with no Internet and only
the odd catalogue that arrived from the USA once or twice a year so we just
used what we had on hand. The flood of choices we have now has been a double-edged sword. Great on the one hand but overload on the other. I think I can
honestly say that our older children didn't suffer because of the lack of
resources. It kept me from wasting too much time looking for stuff and I was able
to invest it in my children instead.
'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.'
Matthew 11: 28
5 comments:
Thanks for writing this post. It has been very timely for me :)
I can't wait to read your next post on this...
I just saw your linked post over on AmongstLovelythings and I clicked through here. I have been reading Sarah's post on rest, and your post speaks directly to that place where I have come and seem a bit stuck in the mud. Thank you for your perspective...it is well timed(even thought you wrote this last year. ;) )
Thank you, Chrissy.
I am home with my sick toddler today, but so glad I found your blog. It has been such a blessing to read. My oldest child is graduating this year and I have seen life become more and more complicated with the Internet, the temptation to compare myself and my children to what I see in other blogs, and with learning disabilities, and life circumstances that I've lost my joy to homeschool. My fourth child, a 10yod, has ADHD and dyslexia and it has been so challenging and emotional. We've also had a stressful few years with a life threatening pregnancy and needy baby and now my father in law with early Alzheimer's moving in with us. I've come away, somehow, from schooling from a place of rest. I'd love to email with you and chat if that is possible. This is my daughter's google account. My email is 6dickersons at bellsouth.net. My name is Betty :-)
Thank you for this wonderfully encouraging post! I love the verses that you have shared. I am naturally a 'driver' but oh how I desire to be a 'leader' of my children!
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