Wanted: Wisdom

Posted by Barbara | 0 comments

At the time of this writing, it is August first.  The planned publishing date for the article is August 25^th. Regardless, I can tell you that both today and that 25^th of August will find me wondering if I have my September planned just so, and if I have all my supplies, and all the resources, and all the strength needed to tackle another year of homeschooling.

But if I’m being honest, there is such a greater burden on my heart than the academic nature of our homeschool. Let me back up a bit. So many mothers say to me, “Well, I think homeschooling is great, but *I* could never do it. I would not be a good teacher for my kids.”

Newsflash: every day, since they were born, your children have been learning from you:

• From the first sound of your voice they learned what gentleness and tenderness sounded like, and they learned to discern your voice from all those other intrusions and uninvited guests in the room.

• From the first sleepless night of pacing the halls, they learned the lullabies and nursery rhymes that your family sings.

• From the first lesson in colors, letters, and numbers, they have learned from you their preschool basics.

• From your first eye roll and sigh, they have learned about frustration and impatience.

• From your first cheer and celebration, they have learned about joy and reward and pride.

Don’t you see? Our kids are learning from us all the time. We, as parents, are their primary teachers.

I don’t know about you, but suddenly teaching my children elementary school math seems like a much more manageable job than teaching them character and values and integrity. And yet, I am called to both, with emphasis on the latter.

I don’t know about you, but suddenly all my academic plans and schedules are paling in importance and I am looking for a better source of wisdom than whatever I can dream up in my own mind.

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a good place to start:

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth– Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

That’s right: the first seven verses of Proverbs One. Isn’t that what we want as parents: wisdom, instruction, and words of insight; knowledge of wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity; prudence, knowledge, and discretion; and, most importantly, the fear of the Lord?

I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and 31 days in the majority of our months. It works out quite nicely to read one chapter a day. Therefore, here is my challenge for you as September is just around the corner: Try reading one chapter of Proverbs every day for the month of September and see what wisdom you can glean.

Undoubtedly, many of you already practice this. And can’t you all testify to the shocking grace of the Lord in speaking a specific piece of wisdom to you on any given day, regardless of how many times you’ve read that chapter in the preceding months? I can’t tell you the number of times that I have thought to myself, “Ah. It is the 25^th of the month. Time to read Proverbs 25 again. No surprises this time.” And then I’ll read verse 15 “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone” and find myself with several chances in my day to wait patiently and speak gently.

Will you join me, even  if only for the month of September, in reading the Proverb for the day, and seeking the Lord’s wisdom for not only the academics of your homeschool, but also, more importantly, the training in virtue that we are all commanded to do, homeschoolers or not?

And then, please let me know if you are already doing this, or if you start, and what you learn. Let us know what pieces of timely wisdom the Lord has given you through this practice so that we can be an encouragement to one another.

Barbara Postma 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.