Homeschooling in Vine

We have only been back from our trip a few days, and I am beginning to question whether I should continue to home educate or not. As a home educating mom of my two lilies, it was not always easy for me to block out the voices of the nay Sayers to home education, from family members and friends, school teachers and believers alike came the constant sound of their disapproval (difficult indeed for one who thrives on the good opinions of others). So in the quietness of the morning, I took those loud voices to the Lord, and asked that He would make it clear what I should do and whether or not it was His will for me to educate my little ones.

My time with the Lord was fruitful as He reminded me that during the time we were away, I had spent very little time in His Presence and that the enemy was now finding a foothold in the recesses of my mind to plant doubt and discord. My heart sank, but it was true. So I decided to leave it with the Lord.

While at the breakfast table, as we sat with our plates full of pancakes and syrup, my oldest daughter began a conversation she had with her aunt, who told her that every time she came into the house that the girls were watching television. A feeling of embarrassment swept over me, as I thought of my sisters comment and my daughters poor spelling of one word in particular and began to talk to her about it. You see, things did not end well with my sister, and her criticism of my children though just perhaps at times, grated at the fibre of my being.

To make matters worse I made my daughter cry. I felt like an awful mother, and continued to wonder how I could teach her. Then I asked myself what was all this about? I had been worrying about how I looked to others, I was embarrassed, I was ashamed and I was concerned that I would be judged as a poor teacher, because I let my children watch television and their spelling wasn't that great. But, was this really all about me? Or was it, what was best for my little lilies? So I asked the Lord, direct me. After the church service I went down to get my girls from Sunday School, and it happened that I began to speak to their Sunday School teacher who praised my girls, and I began to speak to her about what program her mother had used for her and her siblings when they were being home schooled.

It was through that conversation with the Sunday School teacher that I felt that I might have to take a good look at our curriculum and how to really teach my girls what they really needed to know. For now I would continue to teach them what we have.

But this mornings scripture also was speaking to my heart and seemed to hold something special just for me. John 15:1-8, I am the true vine... but it was verse 7 that spoke to my heart, 'If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.' What was the secret to knowing what I had to teach my lilies? It was that I had to abide in the vine. What is the secret to homeschooling my lilies? It is that I abide in the vine. Once I abide in him (the vine, Jesus), I can ask what I wished and it will be done. I had forgotten these past weeks to abide in the vine, and I was not producing fruit, but if I remain in the vine, I will bear much fruit and my lilies will be blessed with the best education that God would give them.

Lord, help me to abide in the vine and prune me as you will so that I might produce fruit. In Jesus name, Amen.