A Mother's Fury
Posted in Daily Focus on Tuesday, January 7, 2014
"The LORD preserveth all them that love him" (Psalm 145:20a).
If you want to see a homeschooling mother riled, just let someone ridicule her child for being homeschooled. Between being protective and having a firm belief in the value of homeschooling, even the most loving and gentle of us feel the hair rising on our backs when our children are mocked. As a homeschooling mom, I also found myself saying, "Let people criticize and attack me for homeschooling all they want, but don't mess with my children!"
Moses' mother, Jochebed, felt more than just the rejection of her son by Pharaoh. She was facing her baby boy's death sentence and needed to use all of her motherly instincts to protect him (Exodus 2). God honored Jochebed and spared her son's life. Through an unusual rescue by Pharaoh's daughter and the clever bravery of his sister, Moses and his mother were reunited, and they were able to spend more years together before he went to live in the palace.
Do you know that God is keeping you in His care today? Even though you may feel alone as you homeschool, He hasn't left you. Like a mother who cannot forget her nursing child, He wraps His arms of love around you and provides the strength you need to face the criticisms of homeschooling. The trials may seem great, but God knows and cares about every battle you face. "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore" (Psalm 121:7-8).
Lord, thank You for Your loving kindness toward me every morning. Strengthen me today to fulfill the call You have placed on my life to homeschool. Set Your hedge of protection around our family and save us from those unseen evils that seek to destroy us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(18 comments)
SUSANNE G 01/07/2009 04:47:27
What a blessing this devotional has been to me this morning!!
MIRIAM C 01/07/2010 10:21:12
I do relate. I pray " Lord , help my anger and may I sin not." I want to use this strong energy in for positive good.
MARYANNE S 01/15/2010 01:45:53
Thank u for this timely devotion. My sister always criticize about me homeschooling my girls. I trust God will give me wisdom in dealing with criticisms.
MELANIE M 01/07/2011 04:06:31
Its a Blessing to know that we are providing our children with the strength to go forward with the best part of the worlds teachings, and with that they can withstand and handle anything that comes.
LONI G 01/07/2011 05:51:53
Wow! What a blessing a timely message for me this morning. I have been dealing with attacks with our own church family regarding our decision to homeschool and it has been very hurtful. I believe that we are doing the right thing and will continue to do what God has asked of me. Thank you so much.
LEXI W 01/07/2011 06:30:40
I thank God for giving you this, for us....today.
MANDI H 01/07/2011 06:50:35
AMEN!!! Loni, I am sorry to here that u are facing that from your own church family...when they should be the ones backing you up for wanting to install godly principles for your children, I will say a prayer that god will give u peace in that, and just remember friends the book says if God before us...who can be against us! What an mighty God we serve!
Jody F 01/07/2011 09:02:21
I have found that the longer I homeschooled my children, the more people accepted it. When they found that I was really dedicated to my children's education and heard me talk of their classes and activities with their curriculum, they realized that this was serious and that I took my job to homeschool them to heart. When I get comments about what people perceive as a social injustice for my kids not to be rubbing shoulders with public school children, I just calmly stand there and count off on my fingers all their extra-curricular activities where they do have lots of contact with other kids; sports, 4-H, church, piano recitals, field trips and the list goes on . . . I get a blank stare meaning "Oh, I didn't know". Chalk it up to 10 years on the home-school journey, but it gets easier each year to "explain" why we do this.
CLAUDENE S 01/07/2011 09:21:47
I don't currently home-school, but my kids were home-schooled through 4th and 7th grades. I loved having them home with me and seeing the wonder in their eyes with everything we explored. I don't miss it, but I so cherish the memories of the times we had together. It was a wonderful, yet challenging experience. The challenging part was more with outsiders putting there noses in where it wasn't needed or wanted. I would always praise my children to others concerning keeping them at home. I would try to have a gentle, firm answer for others questions, then walk away. The hardest is dealing with "well meaning" family. Be strong and know God is directing your path. If this is truly what God wants for your family, then trust in him. Pray before you go out, about the people who's paths you will cross. Also, I tried not to go out to town during the school day. It kept me more centered on our studies, plus helped to avoid contact with the critics. Enjoy the activities you do with your children and with other homeschooling families. You are doing you and your children a world of good!!!
AMANDA W 01/07/2011 11:31:59
I have not been ridiculed much for homeschooling, however I have felt very alone many times. This was an encouragement to me and a reminder that the Lord cares about how I am feeling in this season and that I really am not alone. I needed this today. Thank you for your timing, Lord.
VALERIE M 01/07/2011 16:09:48
Just wanted to share a word of encouragement. We will begin homeschooling on Monday for the first time ever, our 9th grade son who didn't transition well to high school. What has been amazing is that when we have told family, friends, co-workers - we have been met with tremoundous encouragement and respect. I was anticipating some cautions well-meaning feedback, but instead found very supportive, well-informed friends. I know this is a direct result of all of you who have paved the way and made this a "normal alternative" and even a "better alternative" to traditional school.
DIANE G 01/08/2011 11:12:40
Bottom line: We will ultimately answer to God, not anyone else, when we stand before Him for judement. That nullifies any comment anyone can make to me about homeschool. You want to know how your children will turn out if you homeschool vs. public school them? Ask a mother of seven children, namely me. I had the first two children graduate from homeschool, middle children part homeschool, then public school. Last two, we just took them out in February of 2010. The confidence the homeschooled children have is fantastic! The constant verbal abuse that goes on in public school is very damaging beyond understanding. Since February, the last two children have become so much sweeter. Homeschooling also gives us a chance to read scriptures every morning. Wow! What a difference that makes! Don't ever hesitate to homeschool.. Our Heavenly Father will help you and give you strength and knowledge in ALL areas of your life. He will also put little angels, in the form of people, friends and family, in your life to lighten your burdens.
ERIC S 01/14/2011 08:20:15
I have been homeschooling my kids for 10 years also, and while we have met with criticism, (not really openly, just a tone, a look, etc.), we have discovered that a greater and greater percentage of parents are attempting it, considering it, or pledged to do it. It is very encouraging to see this. Many in my church either homeschool, or have.
It IS family that criticize, as well as nosy neighbors that want to know why my kids are not "in school" that I am depriving them of interaction with others. I have one neighbor in particular that has stuck her nose in far enough to cause me great aggravation, but not far enough to get it chopped off. :P But God knows all about this. I have prayed that 1. God would cause them to have to move or 2. that He would put them in a position where they have to homeschool. :) Vengance is not ours, it is the Lords.
We also do not go out during school hours. We actually go far enough that if I HAVE to go out, daddy stays home from work so that I can. In this way the kids school is not interrupted and I am able to go out without having to field unwanted questions. They are not even allowed to go outside until 4 so that no one feels the need to talk to me about "homeschooling". We as parents are responsible for what our kids learn, not just from their teachers, but also from their peers. "Have no fellowship with unbelievers" has more weight to it than I realized until recently. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids when many feel that they cannot.
Thank you for this devotional. I know in my mind that I am not alone, but sometimes it is hard to understand the reality of that.
RENE O 01/09/2012 23:10:59
Dear Eric S. and others who feel compelled to stay at home all day,
How sad that you have met so much criticism that you feel it necessary to keep everyone inside until 4! We have had one family of neighbors who have rolled their eyes at our homeschooling, but I still send the kids out for recess, lunch break, even just mom down time. We even have started beginning our day with a beautiful morning walk. I\'ve also taken them grocery shopping, great for math, life skills, health and home economics, and we also go to the library and various field trips.
If I were to ever get questions about the kids being outside during \"school hours\" I\'d simply state that my kids were either on break, having phys ed, enjoying the outdoors, or giving me a break. Even teachers at school get recess! Homeschooling is more a way of life. We are always teaching...and not just what\'s in the curriculum.
Also, at our local school, the kids will even watch a movie for a few hours on holidays, etc. so I don\'t feel guilty about our \'breaks\' one bit. This is especially since I know what my kids are doing, where they excel and where they need help. Oh, and over time, my neighbor has noticed the difference between our children and other kids, in a positive way...even to the point of wishing she could homeschool! Just keep smiling and blessing others. We really don\'t have to answer to anyone, beyond what the law demands. By the way, kids really don\'t get that much uninterrupted learning time at school. Let your kids enjoy life and each other.
Blessings!
TERESA F 01/07/2013 08:12:33
For me, criticism came from family and neighbors. There were comments like...\"I would just worry about the socilization\" and the outright \"WHY?\" and \"Oh, no!\" One of my most vocal critics- a neighbor, has made a 100% turnaround. He said, after 4 years, that he admired what I do and wished that he had thought of it when his kids were younger. He has complimented my kids on their behavior and manners. The more I see and read what happens (or does not happen) in schools, the less I care about the uninformed criticism others.
The criticism that we get is just a speck of the suffering we should expect being followers of Jesus. I am now more worried about the future of the legal status of Homeschooling in America than I am about what others think of me and my family.
KATHY S 01/07/2013 08:49:14
Something I have been learning in the last 1 1/2 years of our Homeschooling is, \"get what you want to say in first.\"
For instance \"Where does your son go to school?\"
reply:
\"We homeschool and just LOVE it! It is so much more productive, my child is happier, our Public school was so violent and inadequate, we made the change and are happy that we did\".
Having to get all that in because you are expecting criticism, seems kinda silly, but, it works. If they want to argue beyond that, bring it on!
I will go to the end of the earth to protect my son, just as Jesus watches over and protects us both.
Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to Homeschool, Please retsore my health and help me do my best as a teacher . In Jesus name, Amen.
CARRIE K 01/07/2013 10:52:41
Thank you so much for this devotional and all of the comments. This is the second time in about a week that the Lord has said this to me - that I\'m not alone, that He is always with me. Today, I\'ve gone out on a limb by inviting a public schooled child from my daughter\'s soccer team over for a play date. Her mother has been very tentative about us (as if we have something that may rub off on her), so I admit I\'m a little nervous. I have some nice things in common with this mom, my daughter enjoys playing with her daughter, and I\'m hoping that we won\'t be disappointed. Homeschooling is something our Lord directed me to do, and I\'m very, very pleased. I don\'t have to expect His direction for her to be the same. I feel so much like an ambassador!
Ginia Martindale 01/07/2014 15:56:36
Thank you for sharing this. I am new to Home Schooling and have had a lot of doubts if I am doing the right thing... so any positive feedback is great..