God is really into small things. Singular things. Individual things.
He started with one Earth. He placed one man and one woman in one garden. Sin came through one and atonement by One. Salvation is a decision made one at a time. Faith also is singular. He is three in One (unity with diversity). God is excited about the number one. To God, one is a very big number.
Mother Teresa once said, “There are no great things, only small things with great love.” Small is good. Loving your own little family is enough, when done with love and not resentment that you could have done more or been more “if only…”
I don’t think Mrs. Washington knew what her son George would become, but I believe she put her all into his training. I am not sure the mothers of George Mueller, Christopher Columbus or Moses really knew they were destined for great things. I believe they were simply raising their children to the best of their ability. Our children may not go on to so such outwardly great things as these men, but they can be as great in character, nonetheless. A man may not be in the position to birth a nation, but he can be of equal character.
Also Ms. Katherine Dang defines Christianity as “the power of Christ at work in the life of the individual.” When we understand all we are responsible for is our little works, we are free to do those works. And when they are added together, they result in a great work.
Home educating one child or twenty, we still pour all our love, all our energy into one child at a time. It is the individual care and attention that makes the difference. Home educating, no matter what number of children you have, is still significant because each child is significant.
Be not weary in well-doing. Hang in there and do your small works with great love. Loving people is no small thing. For in the end there is great reward, here on earth and in the life to come. And when God is in it, a small thing is really not so small after all.
Anna-Marie is a wife and a mother of four using the Biblical Principle Approach in her home education. She is a writer and book binder. It is her joy to teach her children and she plans to continue until the last little chick is out of the nest. She resides in Oklahoma. You can read more of her musings at Principled Mom and The Creative Homeschool.
I needed this today. We have only had one week of school but the boys are testing me. They want to see what the boundaries are and if I will stick to them or if I will bend or break, like last year. Last year I did not do a very good job of homeschooling. I was lazy and somewhat depressed and I let much to much slip. This year I was determined to do better, my attitude is better but I have already slipped into lazy ways of not checking on the boys to make sure they do ALL they are supposed to do.
I need to concentrate on my God given task, homeschooling each boy to the Best of my ability each day with God’s help.
Debbie´s last blog ..Blast From The Past – Summer Treats 1998
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God bless you Debbie! Lean on Him and trust Him, one day at a time.
I can’t look to the whole year at once or I really don’t think I can make it. I set small goals and then just work on one day at a time.I can do what needs be done for now, if not for a week or a month or a year.
It’s no small thing, these little works we do inside these four walls. Rejoice, mother teacher. God is with you all the way.
Anna-Marie´s last blog ..We are history
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Sometimes it is easy to feel like what we do on a daily basis is small and insignificant. It is easy to feel as if we could be doing “more important” things outside of the home to impact society and make a difference. I often have to remind myself that children are “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” (Psalm 127:4)
I recently heard someone explain this and I drew great encouragement from it. Do you know why our children are like arrows in the hand of a mighty man? Because the reach of a man’s hands…even a mighty man’s…doesn’t extend very far. But, the reach of an arrow? Well, that can extend far into the distance. The little things that we teach our children today, even though they seem small to us can reach far into the future, and that is humbling to think about.
Anna, I really enjoyed your article today. Thank you so much for reminding me that the power of “one” is significant. It is easy to allow myself to feel insignificant, but your article reminded me that with God, all things are possible. Thanks for a wonderful post.
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That’s a great analogy about the arrows. I’m so glad this post was a blessing to you.
Anna-Marie´s last blog ..We are history
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Thank you so much for this…I have been reading verses about doing the work God has prepared for us, and wondering if I was doing that work. It is encouraging to be reminded that handing out Otter pops and lemonade to the my kids and the neighbor kids might be just the “work” God hand in mind for me today
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Laurie, I think you’re onto something.
Isn’t that what Jesus said, “Whoever will give an Otter pop in My name…”?
Love on every child that comes into your life, one at a time, is a high calling. Jesus is really crazy about children. We grown ups shouldn’t be so quick to graduate to from the “kids’ table.”
Anna-Marie´s last blog ..We are history
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