Sigh!! Have you ever wanted to lock yourself in the bathroom to save your sanity. I’ve done it. Honestly locked the door, laid down on the floor, shut my eyes and dreamed of the beach. Of course that doesn’t last long since it doesn’t take more than a minute or two for the kids to figure out I’m gone and then they are knocking on the bathroom door, inquiring “what are you doing.” “Mom, I can’t find my charger to my ipod” “When’s lunch!!??”
When my husband and I made the choice to start homeschooling we were pioneers among our family and friends. Most everyone wondered what we were doing and why in the world we would do it. So, in the very beginning, we didn’t have the wisdom of an experienced homeschooler to give us advice. No one told me there would be days when I, myself, would question my decision and one more spill to clean or argument to break up would threaten to push my sanity over the edge. Don’t misunderstand, when we made our choice we never once considered going back. But there have been days when I’ve looked around at my house and thought of how clean it would be if I had even two hours a day to myself. Homeschool moms don’t get much of a break. While my husband is wonderful about making a point to get me out of the house once a month, I still spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with my children. I love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get burned out and lose sight of the bigger picture from time to time.
I don’t know about you but I desperately need the power of God to enable me to teach, love and raise my children. I need His wisdom to show me how to handle problems when they arise and to graciously walk the path He has directed me towards. It’s too big of a job to leave to someone as weak and selfish as myself. I need God to work through me if I hope to see this task through to the end. He is faithful to give us everything we need to do the job we have been assigned, if only we will seek Him. There are many verses in the Bible that instruct us to seek God in the morning for strength for our day. These are a few of my favorite that hang on my fridge as a daily reminder.
PS 5:3 “Oh Lord, in the morning you hear my voice, in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you. (I may not be up at an altar sacrificing a goat at 6am but I am sacrificing sleep to wake early before my kids and seek God and I believe He honors that.)
PS 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our day.” (When I seek God and get into His word before the start of my morning I find that I’m more cheerful and I do respond with gladness to my children. Starting my morning with God’s word and His love is more effective to me than coffee!)
Mark 1:35 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went into a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Hoping all of you have a blessed and power charged week!