Who’s Looking for You?

Posted by Misty | 0 comments

You know things are bad when you want to throw in the towel.

And the calendar heading only reads … September.

Or worse yet … August.

I had some great plans for this summer, as perhaps many of you did. Looking around the house back in May, I knew there was just too much stuff in too little room. Books, clothes, furniture—it all needed major de-cluttering. Because we were worn out and had trainings to attend and mini-vacations scheduled, I didn’t jump into that work right away. Ambitiously, I came up with a perfect plan with about 5 weeks to go: I asked a sweet friend to take my little people *out* of the house for 6-8 hours one day a week, so I could tackle the job one room at a time.

It was a good plan, I tell you … it just didn’t work. The kids had a great time, which was important. But somehow, even that many hours alone gave me just enough time to regularly-clean each room. Unfortunately, the trim-painting, furniture-moving and dresser/cabinet/shelf emptying eluded me. Our school start date mocked me from the calendar, and did a downright sassy dance when it arrived, knowing full well I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I’d planned to be.

“Time waits for no man,” they say, and I’d add “and it mocks at homeschool mamas in the summer.”

So we began school in the midst of my non-cluttered house. At least, I reasoned, I’d gone ahead and stocked a special set of workboxes just for my toddler and preschooler. They’d be kept quietly busy educating themselves unknowingly as I patiently worked with the older children.

Not so much. The boxes of alphabet puzzles were turned into confetti around the living room. The multi-color, multi-shape sorting blocks (which are wooden, I might add—what was I thinking?) were stacked into castles which were then apparently stormed by pirates who gleefully knocked them down, sending them scattering noisily across the floor. Special dotting paint “markers” were left without lids, orphaned under various pieces of furniture. America is now missing multiple states, which are probably to be found in the “lost pieces” box that’s become a permanent resident of the keep-the-children-quiet workbox area, so if you can’t find Missouri, I apologize.

In the meantime, I’m trying to “do school” with my 2^nd and 4^th graders, which means I have a lovely bookshelf full of books I’m supposed to be reading to them over all the boy noise … and also my 7^th and 9^th graders, who are part of a Classical Conversations Challenge program, which means they have an average of six hours of school a day needing oversight and input, which they’d like to have complete silence for, except for the many hours in which they sneak out the backdoor to jump into the pool, wherein they’d like a lot of company.

And everyone’s still insisting on three meals a day. Oh—and clothes, which I insist be clean.

All that to say … I found myself lamenting, “What on earth was I thinking? I am not going to be able to do this!” on about Day … 2.

Anyone with me? I have a sneaking feeling there are a few of us. Thankfully, Jesus has gone ahead once again …

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Jesus has my heart. All of it. And I desperately need Him if I am to finish this homeschool year (okay, this homeschool month, even. Day, anyone?) with joy. In the boat with me? Wave the flag! Light a flare!  Draw an S.O.S. in the sand!

Save our (home)Schools!

Strengthen Our Souls!

Safeguard Our Spirits!

Secure Our Stability!

Supplement Our Strengths!

You get the picture.

I’m so grateful that I can call out to Jesus, aren’t you? Psalm 103:14 reminds me, “He Himself knows our frame, He is mindful that we are but dust.” I’m so thankful His word proclaims, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23) Come tomorrow, once again, I’m going to need as much mercy as He has to offer.

Feeling overwhelmed? Want to quit, but you’ve only just begun? Wave your arms and know God sees you. He is looking for you, that He may strongly support you in your role as a mom and teacher. May you feel His strength as the most overwhelming thing in your own life, today!

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at www.encouragingheartsathome.com.