Unqualified

Posted by Barbara | 0 comments

In those exciting pre-Christmas shopping days, my family and I went to the mall. Mind you we were not shopping for others…oh no; we were quite happily, selfishly buying a new bedspread for the lovely bed my husband just built for us (yeah!).

But I digress; the shopping isn’t the point. The shopping is only the reason we happened to be out ‘in the world’ where homeschooling moms get blasted. You know that verse in Proverbs 31–”they will praise her in the city gates” –that must not include the local department store.

After a few beautiful comments on the number and appearance and behavior of my children, one lady decided to give me her opinion on the fact that we homeschool. Now I’m used to many categories of comments and criticisms, as I’m sure you are. Typically it is “Oh I could never do that”, “You must be so patient and organized”, ” What about socialization?” and so on. But for what I think was the first time, I heard “What qualifications do you have to teach your children?”

Oh.

Now after having a few days to think about it, I have some excellent answers: For example, I love my children more than any public school teacher could, no matter how well trained she may be simply because I’m their mom. Period. Mom trumps teacher in the love department any day.

However, what I said probably sounded quite pathetic: “Oh, you know, you don’t really have to be qualified at all. I mean, the curriculum choices online are amazing and most of them script every word you have to say (which sounds like “I’m really pretty stupid and unable to think on my own, so I need the publisher to tell me how to explain what a noun is.”). Then I did try to cover my bases by saying “Well, I did go to university,” which seemed to earn me some favor in this lady’s eyes.

Still, I have been asking myself since then, what does make me think I am qualified to teach my children? Here is the answer I’ve come up with: The Lord, who is all wise, chose me to be the mom of these little ones, and it was He who put the burden on my heart to homeschool. If He says so, it must be, that I am able to teach my children in a way that benefits them, brings glory to His name, and builds His Kingdom.

I usually am not a big fan of some of the quotes we put on the signs in front of our churches, but one of those slogans does keep coming to mind in this context: God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips those He calls. Sounds like us doesn’t it? Do you remember this account of the apostles’ witness? “Now when they (the people) saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)  This is the only qualification I want or need. I want to be the kind of woman, wife, mother, and homeschooler who can stand out in the world as being unqualified, uneducated, common except for having been with the Lord.

Lord, May I spend so much time at Your feet and in Your Word that I am clearly, and visibly trained by You.

Barbara and her husband, as they homeschool their 7 children, are finding out that no two children are alike! Between lessons and lunches, Barbara blogs at Fuel by Barbara.