One of "Them" Days...

We are from the South. And I mean SOUTH. The kind where the word South is capitalized, everyone owns a gun, and being called a redneck is considered a compliment. People up north have "these" days, I am sure. We had to start the day off with a mad dash to the store to pick up Prince a new pair of pants to wear to karate tonight. I thought I had this covered at the beginning of the week, but of course, I bought the wrong pants, the ones with out a draw string, and he ended up having to attend his first karate class with one foot doing a high kick and the other trying to keep his bottom from showing. Why in the world they make children's pants with out some form of elastic in them is completely beyond me. It never fails, my tall and slender children (who absolutely take after their father) are constantly either "floodin'" or trying to keep their pants up. Sometimes they really do look like homeschoolers. I should just break out the old denim jumper and go with it like it was on purpose. Sorry, I digress.

Anyway, after a frantic search for the right pair of pants, and a leisurely stroll around every clearance aisle in the store ::ahum::, we ended up making it back to the house just a few minutes before lunch and about 4 hours after our typical school day starts.  As much as I hate to do this during the week, sometimes it just isn't possible to avoid, and it is hard to get our groove back going for the day. No one is willing to sit and work, Mom included. So here it is, 1:30, and one subject has been covered after many trips to the bathroom, many glasses of water, and infinite dawdling.

"Them" days have stages.

Stage one: everyone is tired and distracted, but half way cooperative. The kids get out their school work, get to the table, and open their books to get started. If not overly excited, at least willingly.

Stage two: Fidgeting. Up and down, to the bathroom and back, dropping pencils, dropping books, peeking at television. ANYTHING other than what they are supposed to be doing.

Stage three: Melt down. Four hours into it, and you are on number two. Mid sentence into your teaching about plants, your daughter interrupts and asks why the Emperor has brown hair, and she is met with bugged eyes and impatience.

Stage four: End of the day. Everyone is alive, hopefully with minimal emotional scarring. The books have been put away, nothing retained, and everyone is in a grump.

Oh yes, we have had our share of "them" days. They don't always come with a change of schedule, sometimes you can see them coming and sometimes you can't. It is a hard place to be as a homeschool mom. On one hand, we need to be teaching hard work and perseverance. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes we don't want to do what is required of us. Not everything is going to be fun, and we have to do work. On the other, the whole reason I homeschool is I wanted to teach a love of learning to my children. I wanted them to be inthralled by literature, thirsty for knowledge, and goading them with a proverbial prod isn't exactly what I had in mind. It is so hard to find that balance when we get our mind off of our real goal.

In reality, the lessons aren't the problem. I used to think that. I would switch curriculums every few months thinking that if we tried something newer, more fun, more colorful that everything would change. It didn't. Now I have bookcases full of curriculum because we never addressed the heart of the problem.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us.." Hebrews 12:1

Oh.. the sin which so easily besets us. Days like this and impatience abounds. Hateful tones, sharp looks abound, from both sides of the table as much as I hate to admit it. These situations have a way of going from bad to worse quickly. Attitude builds on bad attitude. About the time my 2nd grader starts saying she doesn't remember what 2+2 equals, I start feeling my head wanting to spin. So what does God want us to do?  What does it mean to "lay aside every weight"? Surely, He doesn't expect us to just give up. To walk away like it doesn't matter...

"...and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God." Hebrews 12:1b-2

Ah, there it is again. The Author and Finisher. The same God who gave you the task will provide the means. And isn't that what, truly, is important that they learn? Sometimes, even as Christians, we forget how absolutely powerless we are. We could not save ourselves, we could not better ourselves. No matter how hard you try, how many books you read, how many prayer revivals, how many hours of meditation, NONE of it matters if we are trying to do it in our own strength. Our best efforts are ruined just by us touching them.

So what is the answer? Look to Jesus. As simple as it sounds, look to the Cross. Claim full dependence on the grace of God. What a lesson taught there! Our earthly flesh is weak. We give up easily and much too soon, it is only by His strength, His grace, His love that we endure.

These are the lessons that matter.