This morning during my prayer time, though (that is a new thing that IS working well!!!), I read something in Scripture that hit me like a 2x4 that I want to share with you:
Mark 8: 14-21
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, "We have no bread."
17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."
20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven."
21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
I feel completely like these poor apostles! Here they are complaining about forgetting to bring bread on the boat. Fretting, worrying, panicking that they will be hungry. And, Jesus JUST moments ago fed 4000 people with 7 loaves of bread and a few fish! They clearly just don't get it!
And, neither do I. Our first two days back to school this semester have been brutal. My expectations are high. The baby is teething. The students are definitely not as excited as the teacher. And, I am lamenting over how my children will ever learn anything. How they work so.very.slowly. How smart they are and what potential they have that I am failing to bring to fruition!
Yet, until this morning, I had not really offered this work to God. Sure, I begged him for help as I lost my patience and told Him to fix everything when I walked away from a tantrum or two (or three, but who's counting?). Today, finally, after reading this Scripture, I decided enough was enough. It was time for God to be in charge, not me, because I was doing a miserable job.
We still started our day with P.E. this morning to wiggle and dance off a little energy after breakfast, but then I had the children write a prayer to God for us to say for our homeschooling each day. I told them it would help our school days to be more fun. They each took pen to paper and without reading what the other wrote or sharing came up with these:
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| translation of the first: "Dear God help us to do schoolwork" |
