“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8 NKJV
The other day, I was overthinking about how my kids will become educated if I am taking school off the daily task list in favor of an extracurricular and social afternoon once a week, every week. That somehow education doesn’t involve having fun with friends, but just working from books. It felt like I was failing at teaching my kids the importance of diligence in a practical sense and it was all my fault.
I kind of dumped on myself. It was not great. (There were more thoughts, but I do not want to add to anyone else’s list the things that they could adapt from me to worry about for their own lives, so I’ll leave it there.)
In the quiet of prayer and voicing my frustrations, a passage from a recent book came to mind. I’ve returned the book to the library, so I’ll try to paraphrase:
“God already has a plan for your children’s lives. You cannot mess up His plan, even if you tried. His plan does not depend on you.”
While you could take that to mean that how you mother and teach your children isn’t important, I take it the other way. That God’s purposes for my children transcend the projected steps of “successful parenting” on my part, that I have made up in my own mind.
I am so thankful that I am not in charge of how my children turn out.
Yes, I have a responsibility to teach and train them well and I do not take that lightly.
I also know that so much growth as a person, friend, and follower of Jesus was done as an adult, on my own, with God and not because anyone else – mother or other – was telling me to do it.
God gets ahold of us in our weaknesses. He exposes our strengths to be rooted in pride when they are without Him. His grace covers the gaps where our humanity is lacking. (Hint: Everywhere is lacking when compared to God. It’s supposed to be like that. His grace covers it all.)
While I have many years to go before I know how my children “turned out,” I have those same years to trust that God has a hold of their hearts and will call them and shape them as only He can.
I know this because He is still calling and shaping me today. His grace is sufficient for my failings and my gaps in ever area – including homeschooling.