Monday, November 1, 2010
Today, I'm Wrestling!!
OK, so if you have a brain like mine, you wrestle with lots of thoughts and things that pop into your head. It could come from views from others, studying God's Word, TV, preaching from the Sunday before, ETC! Well, today mine is figuring out the line you draw of being in the world but not of it. How far do you go to protect you and your families walks with the Lord without totally removing yourself from reality and the call we have to make Jesus famous? Now, I am homeschooling this year. My decision to do that was not to shelter Katelyn totally or to keep her from every bad thing that could possibly be out there. My reasons were as follows: I did not like the idea of someone else pouring into her heart 8 hours a day, I wanted to be there when she learned something new about her Savior, financially, her foundation needs to be set and strong before she experiences the world at an older age, my view of education, and so much more.So, as I wrestle with this line thing, I think about Halloween and Christmas. I think about movies and music. I think about her friendships and places we go. I have sorda come to this conclusion. Whether its to celebrate a holiday or watch a certain movie, Josh and I as her parents can incorporate Jesus into anything and use it as a teaching tool. To totally remove her, in my opinion, could set her up to fail in loving the people of this world but teaching her to be separate in her thinking and world view. I want her to see the world and the people in it as Jesus does, not a us and them mentality but to know that she and I could easily be where they are had it not been for the saving grace of Jesus and his ability to change us.Like I said, I am wrestling, which means I don't have all the answers yet. I am just journaling my thoughts hoping for some wisdom from my friends and Lord!!!
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Very inspiring :) Katelyn seems like such a balanced young lady and she is lucky to have such great guidance as she grows into a Christlike young woman!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone struggles with this in their own life and especially when raising children in this "world". Just being conscious of the spiritual warfare going on around us gives us an advantage to be ready for battle against Satan :-)
It sounds like Katelyn is growing up in a home that points her to Christ in a way that sets her eyes on the world with a perspective of grace, which is SO important! That's how Christ sees the world and our "flesh" nature tends to see the world as a comparison to ourselves.
I know there is always lots of controversy about Halloween, and other holidays and how to allow children to enjoy these traditions and still manage to plant seeds against the "worldy use" of these holidays, etc.
I think it's awesome how you guys are homeschooling Katelyn and using each and every opportunity to prepare her for living independently in a world that will challenge her faith in every way. She's got a GREAT foundation and for what it's worth, I think you are doing a FANTASTIC job :-) Every time I've ever seen Katelyn, she just GLOWS with joy and her compassion for others is precious!
Her little heart is already shining bright for the Lord :)
We already talked about the Halloween thing a bit on Saturday, so I'm not going to go there again. The bottom line is what you and Josh are already doing...you are teaching Katelyn to first love Christ, and then the love others. If we separate ourselves completely from others, we are teaching our children that they don't have to reach out to them, either. Yes, as Christian we are called to be SET apart, but that doesn't have to literally mean KEPT apart. We were talking yesterday in Sunday School about this and the importance of being firmly rooted in Christ...to knowing that when it comes down to it and a stand has to be made, having a firm enough foundation that we can stand for Him- even if standing alone. As you know, the way we raise our children has an eternal significance and you and Josh are doing a great job. I definitely do not make all the best decisions for my kids, unfortunately, but thankfully our Savior is always there, calling us back, reminding me to daily surrender and ask for His guidance, His wisdom, and His peace. We are commanded to be salt and light to a dying world and for us to be able to do that, we have to be IN the world...just as you are teaching her now. Love you, friend!
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