Teach as you Rest
Lately, my kids hear me singing, “tis the season to be weary…”
I hear God telling me to rest more…. Find His peace.
Certainly, our home education needs to be made new; it’s time to determine to teach from a state of rest.
Andrew Kern says we ought to enter into God’s rest and then serve Him wholeheartedly– not out of anxiety, but out of love and trust. In His presence, we can teach from rest.
How can we inspire our children to have a lifelong love of learning when they see Momma always stressed out. Worrying. Checking that list. Anxious over staying on schedule and “getting it all done.”
As I write this, I look at those stacks of materials that are so good; they are full of beautiful lessons and goodness. But it isn’t working. Not for us anyway.
Too often, we force things to fit. Too often, we are controlled by the materials we use. Because we love our families, but we want to stay on task. We cannot allow them to get behind (whatever that means).
We are not truly resting when we teach like this; instead of inspiring our children, we are requiring. We are planning and teaching as though everything depends on us.
We forget that we will never be enough. But our God is always more than enough. And He does not need a perfect schedule or a just-right program.
I sometimes wonder how often I make a mess of God’s plan for my children in my desire to do better? To give them more?
When I begin to worry and compare my children how their skills are or aren’t aligning with others their age – I am not trusting God. I am not really embracing His purpose for my children.
Planning can be good; programs can be great! But when they control us, when everything revolves around them – we cannot truly be at rest.
What could happen if this year we spend more time praying? What if we stopped believing that we have to teach all this stuff (language and math and science, geography, music, history, art) and focused on learning, mastering even what we are teaching?
Can we stop worrying and start resting? Can we begin teaching our children? If we slow down and savor it all, if we are intentional in all we study with them, trusting God in the way, we can enjoy the journey we are on. Together.
There is nothing wrong with having a plan; it’s good to know where we want to be. But we have to be mindful that we don’t allow where we want to be to crowd out where we are.
We have been given such blessings in these children God has blessed us with; let us be ever aware of who God created them to be that as we train them up in His way, we inspire them to be all He has planned for them.
Slow down. Be together. And be blessed in the rest.
—oOo—
Thank you to Jennifer K from A “Peace” of Mind for today’s article.