In Step With The Spirit

Just think what our homes could be like

and how it would affect our children

if we were truly in step with the Spirit,

devoted moment by moment to God's purposes . . .

Only three verses in all of Scripture about her, but I’m convinced I would have loved her.  Anna was one amazing old lady in love with an amazing God.

Someone in her circumstances might have become overwhelmed, bitter, and lonely, being married only seven years before becoming a widow, but not Anna.  She spent her time attached to the Lord’s interests—and He communicated with her (she was a prophetess, says Luke 2:36).  Now as an 84 year old, “she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.”  (Luke 2:37)  I wonder just how long she had been doing this.

Nowadays, people twenty years younger than Anna was are retired, but not Anna.  She obviously wasn’t sitting around at home doing nothing or feeling sorry for herself.  No, she was in step with the Spirit.  “At that very moment . . .” as Simeon was prophesying about little eight-day-old Jesus as he held Him in his arms, she came up and starting giving thanks to God.  Oh, to be so close to Him, so in step with the Spirit, that when the Lord is doing something significant in my vicinity I, too, would be in the center of it, and not missing it.

Most of the people on the planet, whether young or old, let their own selfish purposes dictate their lives, but not Anna.  Anna let God’s purposes direct her time and energy.  She “continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”  (Luke 2:38)  Interestingly, it was those who were looking to see what God would do who got in on the news of what God was up to.  I wonder if the ones who weren’t looking for the redemption of Jerusalem ever found out what God was doing?

And that’s it.  Just three verses, yet her life has inspired and challenged mine.

Where is my focus?  On my situation or on the Lord’s interests?

Am I in step with His Spirit, or I am I too focused on me to see what He’s doing?

What directs my time and my energy?  Am I ready at any moment to step up and begin giving Him thanks?

O Lord, in all my days, I don’t want to miss even one moment of what You are doing or one opportunity to give You thanks!

Moment by moment, may I, too, be a praying woman who hears from You, keeps on speaking of You, and gives You thanks that others can hear.  Shape me in such a way that the simple snippets from my life would point others to bless Your name.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God.  She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means--including writing music, singing, speaking, and blogging--to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to.  You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you'll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where otherwise specified.

Transcript Season

It's transcript season at our house, and I've been reminiscing.  One of my dear girls has started her last year of high school.  We have been through so much and learned so much together.  And most of it could never be reflected on a transcript.

Oh, yes, she has learned to balance chemical equations, to make bread and berry pie, to use imaginary numbers and subordinating conjunctions.  She can play the piano and tell you who Thaddeus Kosciuszko was.  But a transcript could never reflect who she has become.

In the progress of gathering up samples of her work for a portfolio, I came across a notebook wherein lay perhaps some of her most significant work.  It was work that went far deeper than history facts or geometry proofs.  It penetrated her heart and ignited something inside her.  This work hadn't been assigned for an official class.  It was what she had done during the time she devoted to God's Word at the beginning of the day during one of her school years.  The notebook contains the notes she made as she read through the Old Testament books of Joshua and Judges.

As I read through tears of joy, I saw that she had carefully catalogued, verse by verse, what was taking place, grouped the verses into logical divisions, and summarized the content.  She made observations on the overarching themes, and then applied them to her own life and the life of our nation with incredible insight.  God challenged her to align herself with His priorities, and she said, "Yes!"  He spoke, He revealed His faithfulness, and her faith grew.  And mine grew, too, as I read what the Lord had taught her.

Contrary to popular opinions of some, studying God's Word is no dry, meaningless, intellectual exercise; it has been a living and powerful shaping force in her life.  As I observe her attitudes today and hear her speak with passion, I know that the living God who revealed Himself in those passages has molded her faith with His own hand.

As we spend each passing day with our children, let's not forget that the most relevant things they will ever learn are the spiritual truths from God's Word that will anchor them long after they've left home and long after we have moved on to heaven ahead of them.

And more rewarding than anything that could be recorded on a transcript is knowing that our children's names are recorded in the Book Of Life.

". . . You know in all your hearts and in all your souls

that not one word of all the good words

which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed;

all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed."

Joshua 23:14b

Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God.  She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means--including writing music, singing, speaking, and blogging--to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to.  You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you'll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Avoiding Exhausted Mama Syndrome

"Work with your family--not for your family."

"Mommy, can I help?" my daughter asked as I planted flowers in our front beds. Tree roots, black plastic laid by a prior owner, and countless rocks made the digging near impossible. With our house going on the market, I needed the flowers to look as attractive as possible--an already challenging goal. Could my daughter help?

Then, I remembered the advice an Amish friend gave me years ago, "Work with your family--not for your family."  She had a solid philosophy that if mom was still working, the rest of the family should still be working. She considered kids playing in the living room while mom did dishes unacceptable. She taught the younger moms in her sphere to constantly include children in whatever work they were doing.

She noted, "Young children want to help. They beg to help. We turn them away because we think it's easier to just do it ourselves. But, by the time they are old enough to truly help--they've had years of practice in playing while mom works. They come to believe they are entitled to play while mom works. Even mom falls into this habit. Then, mom grows exhausted and resentful. Instead, include children. No matter how little the job--while you work, let them work."

Her advice has proven invaluable. I admit to times where we have worked hard for hours planting a garden or organizing the garage--and I release the children to go play while I finish the task. Further, I don't expect my two-year-old to work as long and hard as I do. But, generally if there are house chores to be done, the whole family works together until they are done.

Keys:

• Make jobs age appropriate. I don't expect my toddler to hoe the garden. I do have her put folded laundry in the basket. 
• Give frequent breaks. After a good push, I bring out Kool-Aid and grapes for a snack. I let the children ride a lap on their bikes. I have them go do a break-job--one that's fun, such as spraying the plants with the hose which inevitably turns into spraying each other and cooling off. 
• Reward. Especially after a long day, I break out a tub of ice cream and toppings for a special treat. Even just in daily chores, when children finish, I make sure to inspect their work because the attention tells them their efforts are important. I thank them for helping and praise their efforts. That connection keeps the kids encouraged.
• Work together. With rare exceptions, we all pitch in on a task. We clean up the dinner table, do the yard work, straighten the house--all together. While 2 people may head to work on the living room while 2 others tackle the school room, we work in teams. This prevents chores feeling like solitary confinement and more like team work.

Benefits?

• I never feel like I'm alone--working myself to death, resentful of others. Instead, I feel part of a great team who helps each other. 
• I have some of the best conversations with children while we weed a garden patch or straighten the garage. Something about busy hands opens hearts and mouths.
• Our children have a great work ethic--if someone gets up to do something, they jump up to help. We've normalized helpfulness just by including them from the very beginning in every job

It's not a perfect system to be sure. The holes my daughter dug had to be redone by me. I had to keep reminding her not to step on the already planted flowers as she moved to plant the next. I had to take deep breaths every time she tried to pull a flower out of the seed pot praying she wouldn't tear the plant. I would have planted the flowers far faster without her help.

But, as we stood back at the end of the job--her face broke into a grin as she gleefully exclaimed, "Oh, mommy, look how beautiful!" She got to be part of that. We got to be a team. Plus, she learned a little about planting flowers. Those little lessons pay huge dividends down the road. The next day my older daughter took the remaining flowers and planted them in another bed while I mowed the lawn. I could trust her to do the job well because she has been planting flowers with me all her life.

If you want to avoid "exhausted Mama syndrome"--work with your family, not for your family.

Tess Worrell writes and speaks to groups regarding issues of family life and living as a Godly woman. She and husband, Mike Worrell, live in Madison, Indiana, where they are in their 14th year of home schooling. She would love to hear your insights. Comment here or email her at tess@YourFamilyMatterstous.com. If you would like Tess to speak to your home school or church group, learn more about her speaking at YourFamilyMatterstous.com.