Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Encouragement When You Are Feeling Behind

To my fellow homeschool mamas:

When you feel like you are drowning and getting further and further behind, or that things aren't going exactly as you planned, step back and look at the BIG PICTURE. Take account of what you HAVE done, not just what you have NOT done. Think of the progress made toward all goals, not just academic ones, but emotional, spiritual, physical, etc. Or maybe realize that you are in a certain season where priorities have had to change or where adjustments have had to be made.

Imagine an impressionist painting, with lots of blobs and streaks and swirls of color that looks quite messy up close. But from a distance, all that mess of color and brushstrokes and darks and lights creates a glorious picture!



Or think of the backside of a tapestry or embroidery piece - all tangles and knots of colored threads, but the surface is where the beauty of the design shines through. Sometimes the process is hard and frustrating and at times, chaotic, but the result is beautiful. Remember, the education process / the path to success is not a straight line!



And I will repeat one of my mantras - eliminate the word "behind" from your vocabulary! You are where you are. Period. Your goal is to teach your child how to learn and to love learning, using whatever wealth of resources and materials available to you! As important as academics are character and service and relationships. Also, you are the master of your curriculum, and not the other way around. You can decide to alter it, shorten it, change it, adjust it, as needed.

I believe that God is having us prepare our children in a different way for a different purpose than what we perhaps can image, for a world that is so rapidly changing we can hardly keep up. But He can. , So don't lose sight of that. And listen to the Boss.