God can use anything –even blogs!– to bring amazing people into your life: people who make you laugh, people who build you up, people who make you feel as if you just might not be the only salmon fighting the current, after all. While our family is saying goodbye to friends and family here in the States, I’m honored to feature the work of some of those folks right here on To Sow a Seed. These bloggers bring inspiration, encouragement, and a healthy dose of keepin’ it real to their corners of the internet. It’s my prayer that you’ll be blessed through their words, and if you’re not familiar with their blogs, you’ll pop on over and soak in some of the life-changing stuff they offer.
Today’s guest blogger does a fabulous job introducing herself, but she doesn’t brag nearly enough on her skills. Susan is the kind of woman you call when the wheels fall off and you’re pretty sure that you’re the most rotten mom ever. She’s the woman you reach out to when you have the most amazing news ever and have to share it with someone who is going to drop everything right then, right there, and happy dance with you. She’s the kind of woman who says she’ll pray for you and actually does it. She won’t listen to you bad mouth your husband, she won’t let you wallow in your junk, she won’t indulge you in too much whining than is good for you, and she’s so talented in the kitchen it’s almost unholy. In other words, everyone needs a Susan. I’m delighted to share mine with you.
Hi! My name is Susan Williams, and I blog over on That Susan Williams. I chose that name for my blog, because there are over 40 Susan Williams in the insurance system at my doctor’s office, and I’m #27 in that system. I’m *that* Susan Williams. When your last name is as common as dirt, and the Susan Williams at the top of the google search got the maximum sentence for conspiring to kill her husband, and you’re sure that wasn’t you, you’re either constantly trying to distinguish yourself, or you’ve abandoned hope, and have slipped into obscurity. I’m on the downhill slide to obscurity at present, desperately trying to leave my record of my own little wooly mammoth hunt on the Cave Wall of Life.
I’m honored to be the guest blogger for Heather here today!
Since I’ve been doing this homeschooling thing for a while, I thought I might have a thing or two to share with people who hadn’t traveled quite as far down the homeschooling road as I have. I’ve been homeschooling for 15 years now. My youngest is 16, and my oldest is a rising sophomore in college. Not as long as some of you reading this, perhaps, but maybe quite a bit longer than others of you. For what they’re worth, here are a few of my thoughts as I glance in my rear view mirror.
Thought Number One:
A wise woman, who is further down the road than I am, once told me, “Find whatever it is that your kid is passionate about, and learn how to love that thing as well.” Now, this becomes even more important as our kids approach and enter the teen years. I had to learn to like (or at least pleasantly tolerate) some music that I just didn’t care for initially, because my son is passionately in love with it. Not rolling my eyes or belittling his musical taste has paid off. Today, we enjoy the fact that he still comes to us and shares his newest musical loves and interests. His interests have made us richer as a family, as we discuss the pros and cons of the music we each love.
Not every kid will be passionate about music. There are as many possibilities for interests as there are kids out there. But learning to love what our kids love has paid off, for us, on a regular basis. It has deepened and enhanced our relationship with our children, which makes them far more receptive to receiving instruction and correction from me as their teacher.
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| They’ll be gone before you know it! |
Thought Number Two:
It’s true that the world is a dangerous place, and the evils thereof can certainly taint our children. But as unsavory to Jesus as some of the more obvious evils of His day, were were the holier-than-thou attitudes demonstrated by the most religious people of His time, the Pharisees. Remember the story of the Pharisee and the Publican in the Bible? “God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get,” prayed the “righteous” Pharisee. If we’re not careful, there is a danger that we, ourselves can begin to feel pretty darn self-righteous about our own good works, in the area of homeschooling.
“Lord, I thank you that I am not like other mothers. I teach my children with the finest curriculum. I dress only in modest attire at all times. I neglect my own personal health and happiness so that I may give my all in all to the needs of my children. I breastfeed 8 times a day. I grind my own flour and bake my own bread that they might get all the nutritional advantages of whole grains. Yea, my crockpot overfloweth with the bounty I prepare. My children read above their grade level and wander museums expounding upon truths unknown even to the docents. Surely I have produced the next generation of godly offspring. Each night I submissively offer up my body to the desires of my husband. He praises me at the watercooler. My children and husband shall rise up and call me blessed.”
(Honestly, when I read blogs where perfection reigns supreme, my Inner Skeptic® warning sensor goes off. A little humanity, a little humility, a little REALITY, if you please!)
I started out homeschooling thinking I could protect my children from some of the garbage that I saw in the world. That’s not a bad thought, necessarily. In fact, it’s pretty instinctual for parents to protect their young. But Jesus didn’t isolate Himself from the world. He hung out with the holy ones and the riffraff, and loved them both, right where they were. Somewhere, there’s got to be a balance in homeschooling our kids, where holiness does not equal isolationism, or being out of touch with one’s own culture. Holiness means being set apart for God’s purposes, and God’s heart is full of love for the world. He loved it so much He gave the life of His one and only Son to save it. If that was God’s purpose in sending Jesus, then that’s what Christian homeschooling parents ought to be training their children to do, as well, in my opinion. But how can you love the world if you fall into the trap of completely isolating yourself from it? So, look for opportunities for you and your kids to love, serve, and befriend the unchurched, who are your neighbors. Because that’s what Jesus would do.
Thought Number Three:
Homeschooling can, by its very nature, be an isolating experience for Moms, too. I love that the internet has created a virtual venue where moms like us can come and interact. I participated as a member of homeschool curriculum forum for over twelve years, and on those forums, by being honest and reaching out in love to others, I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, even after homeschooling is over. I know this because most of those moms from the good old days have moved on to a Facebook group, where we continue to be involved in each other’s lives in real, life-changing ways. I can’t encourage you enough to find ways to reach out to other homeschooling Moms: whether at your church, or through a community group, or through social media (the weird way, and the way I did it ;-D ). Share your struggles as well as your triumphs. We need to run our ideas past others who are doing what we’re doing, and share the wealth of ideas that others have passed on to us! We need a place where we can be real: where we can pray for others, and be prayed for ourselves. We need a place to connect, a place where we can shed the mask that Western cultural Christianity has encouraged. A place where we can be known for who we truly are, and loved, anyway.
Knowing how cherished we are in the Father’s love, knowing that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, knowing the comfort of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and knowing the tangible love of the Body of Christ – the fellowship of the saints: these are the ways in which we keep on keeping on, down the road we’ve been called to travel.
She’s the friend you go to when you want to hear a great story, or when you need an incredibly delicious recipe, or when your spirit needs a little encouragement.
She’s That Susan Williams.