Treasures Stored

We homeschool. Yes I said it. We are one of those families who have decided to take Deuteronomy 6:4-9 literally and make sure our children sit at home so we can teach them. We have been doing this type of education for almost 6 years. My son was the first in the experiment (oops!) I mean process and he will be 12 years old in just a few months. We have learned much about what we believe about education, what we thought we believed about education, our values, and so many other things that oft times it feels more like we are the ones being educated and the children are just along for the ride. When we first started we felt very strongly about discipleship being the focus of why we had chosen this path; that is really what is being described in Deut 6:4-9. We were not supposed to have this hands-off approach but to get in there and get dirty. As much as we thought that was the focus I think in the beginning we were very much bound by our own educational experiences. Me, especially, who had been at some of "the best schools" wanted to see my children excel academically. Then the years go by and each year I feel my patient Father turning my focus a little bit more towards Him in our home and how we are doing this whole "school" thing. So yesterday when we sat down for devotion which changes appearance sometimes from day to day or it looks different when Daddy is home I decided to do something. Last week during bible study with Daddy my daughter Chloe who has had the most difficult time reading saw the other children given passages to read and asked if she could have one also. My husband and I gave that "oh boy" glance to each other but very quickly he found a passage for her that was to be a part of the study that night.She did wonderfully. I even marked that passage in my bible so I would never forget that was the first bible passage my little Chloe read. My devotion yesterday morning was from 1 John and I decided we would read from that book but it would be the younger two reading instead of the older. So I sit here with tears in my eyes at the memory of my two younger daughters 7 and 5 who read 1 John chapter 1 to us yesterday! It took a little longer than had 1 of the older ones done the same reading or myself but it was the most beautiful chapter reading I have heard in a long time. My keeping my children at home doesn't always seem to come with big rewards. There is a lot of plodding. There is a lot of routine stuff and because I am with my children all the time I don't always step back to see the progress because I am right there in it with them. And much times the L-rd is growing me as He is growing them. I have different goals now for my little ones. Don't get me wrong we still study Latin and History, Math and Literature but there is nothing more important in my mind than that they are becoming servants of the Lover of their soul. And they can read all about it; all by themselves.