We have no idea....
what all God is doing and going to do.
That's actually from the Bible.
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of
man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—I Corinthians 2:9
I really believe that.
I feel like I have been hugged from behind
this week
from God.
How does that happen? What does that look like?
I'm glad you asked! But I have to give you a little back up info first--
I have REALLY been struggling about "school" since we have been home with our kids. We kinda have a plan each week--I know we are focusing on language, math, reading, audiobooks.
I have struggled because everyone needs me.
Only one is mostly independent.
I think if we had a reality show it would be called
All My Children....
Have Special Needs
So our day is VERY FLUID and I work alongside one while doing activities with another, then another, then another.
And I don't feel like we get very much done.
An hour plus passes (or two plus hours when we have interruptions, attitudes, and/or noncompliance) and we get through our stuff.
Just a side note, our kids' initials spell KOWMESS when put together. No joke. When I see the vinyl stickers on the back windows of SUVs, some days I think about getting
KOWMESS
HAPPENS
put on the back of Big Blue.
That's not a joke either.
I label that "stuff" as our "study time" on the wipey board every morning. Once we make it through our stuff/studies once in the morning, we move on to other things and don't come back to it. I know learning is taking place in the midst of laundry, meals, wii, laundry, errands, gymnastics, gamecube, laundry, and chasing Maddie home from the park because she got out.....................again.
But I feel like my kids need more than I can give when it comes to pushing them academically.
So last weekend I put an email out to my homeschool moms group and asked for help.
I don't always know when to ask for help though. A few weeks ago, we had our first post-placement adoption interviews and Savannah woke up with an ear/eye infection. I wasn't sure how to handle the day, and my sister-in-law texted me out of the blue asking to take a couple kids for the day to do school at her house.
That's a hug from God.
What a huge blessing--Marisa and Todd have no idea the impact they are making in our family and on my kids (I Cor 2:9 again) but they have continued to take 2-3 kids once or twice a week to help me out.
Two moms responded immediately to my email. One mom doesn't even homeschool but offered her house, computers, and tutoring. She already gave me a house key. She has no idea (I Cor 2:9).
That's a hug from God.
Another mom emailed me today offering to take the kids to the park in the evenings to give me a little break. And she invited us to their house for some "study time" with her boys tutoring my little boys and she helping with another one. She has no idea (I Cor 2:9).
That's a hug from God.
This adjustment has been especially difficult for one of my kids so much so that we have needed extra support. A counselor friend from church is coming along side helping that child grieve in a healthy way the loss of our old family. SHE HAS NO IDEA (I COR 2:9).
THAT'S A HUG FROM GOD.
Another friend is taking two of my kids some each week and teaming them up with her kids so they can work on their Little Giant Steps program together. What used to be such a difficult task for them is now fun and something they look forward to. SHE HAS NO IDEA (I COR 2:9).
That's a hug from God.
So what am I learning from this? Jeremy and I have looked at each other often and said, "There's no way we can do school at home....not long term. There's just no way." The thing that I am most struggling with, God is showing me there is a way. We can't do it by ourselves.....at least not right now anyway. His people, the Body of Christ, are coming along side us to help us do what we cannot do alone.
I'm doing Mindy Ferguson's pilot study on Moses right now and I filled out this chart this morning on what happened through the plagues in Egypt. I saw with each plague how at first Aaron acts on behalf of Moses, then the Lord, and then by the 6th plague, Moses has the confidence and trust in God to carry out God's directions with boldness. I feel like Moses right now in how he had so many objections at first to being the guy God had chosen, but God was gracious and affirmed patiently that Moses was the guy.
I have so many objections to homeschooling 7 kids right now--I don't want to do it, it doesn't always work, it's too hard, they need a better teacher, I need HELP right now.
So I have a lot of Aaron's around me to help. And I am trusting God will graciously affirm what He wants for each of these kids in regard to school.
And the hugs I am getting right now feel like they come straight from Him.
