Just When You Thought it Would Get Easier......

When our children were little, it was so much work raising them. Training them to have healthy sleep patterns, eating patterns, how to walk, talk, read, write, add, subtract, and so on. The teaching opportunities seemed endless. There were days I felt I was not qualified for the job. Pray, have Patience, Practice,  repeat. That seemed to be a constant pattern for me. We all know, there is no manual on the “perfect” way to raise children, although there are many tools to assist us in the process. Adding to the challenge, while teaching and training our children … God is trying to teach and train us! I remember so many times when God said to me “Are YOU paying attention?”

I am writing this to encourage you, You can do this!
On your own .. NO!
With God’s help .. YES!
I am also writing to encourage you for the LONG HAUL! 

I thought, as our children got older, it would get easier. In many ways, it has. They bathe themselves, cook, clean, do their schoolwork more independently, make choices for themselves, yes, in many ways it is easier.

I recommend though, you start praying for your future teenagers now, while they are young. Pray God will continue to be prevalent in their lives. Pray God will reveal their unique gifts, and how He will use those gifts for His Kingdom. Pray you will recognize character weaknesses quickly, and you and your husband will always make time to address them. Pray you will not just "chalk" attitudes, and failings up to "he/she is a teenager, that is how teenagers act, right?" Wrong. Only if you allow and ignore the behavior. However they are acting, is practice for the adult they will become.

Questions I am hearing from my teenagers.  How has He created me? For what purpose? What am I going to do with my life? Character? What shows good character? What does bad character look like? Who will be my mate? How do others view me? Do YOU think I can do it? Is there really a God? Do you really love me? Does God Really love me? Can I stand against what everybody else is doing? How do I do that? What do you believe about .......... ?

God blesses us by starting with innocence. Our children believe we walk on water. Mom and Dad can do anything. We are the beginning and the end. They come under our umbrella. They are saved by our faith.

Then, they grow up. They can no longer lean on our faith. It is about what they believe or don’t believe. Their destiny is in their hands, not ours. And then, there is the "watching." Teenagers no longer just do what they are told. They WATCH you. Watch if your words line up with how you behave. They see us. They REALLY see us. For who we truly are. 
Sinners.
Just like them.

I am telling you, this is not easy. As we face our own sinful nature, with our teens. It is really important to live the gospel during this time. If we can’t admit our sins, neither will they. If we can’t say “I am sorry” with a sincere repentance in our heart, neither will they.
   
Moms and Dads schooling young children, GOD BLESS YOU!
The commitment you have made to your children is commendable. This is a wonderful journey. God will give you everything you need, in each of the places you need, if you seek Him.


It will not get easier though, as they age, it will just change. The children God has gifted to our care, are a huge part of God’s plan for our lives. Not only Arithmetic, English, Writing, Science, and History, but helping our son's and daughters be ALL that God made them to be! 

As Jim and I walk through this stage of home schooling our  son and daughter, it definitely has been tough academically. More importantly, it has been tough spiritually. They are  learning to rely on God. Their character and condition of their heart, are being tested everyday in every way. I realize how little time we have left to impart God’s word into their hearts. No, it hasn't gotten easier, but before we know it, we will be done.

Trusting in Him,
Michelle Fisher