A New Perspective
Posted in Daily Focus on Saturday, November 2, 2013
Imagine going to a job each morning where you can set your own schedule. You arrive when you want, take breaks whenever you want, and leave for an extended lunch hour without anyone breathing down your neck. Answering your phone calls and emails is regulated to a minimum each day, and the work responsibilities and goals you have are varied. There is no dress code or security passes to wear around your neck, and no one cares if you eat at your desk or play your favorite radio station. Your boss is off-site, and you can manage your workload to best suit your needs. Your work is rewarding and exciting, and you usually see immediate results from your efforts. Wouldn't we all love to have a job that fits this description? As a homeschooling parent, you do!
Many homeschooling parents get caught up in the fact that they never receive a paycheck like their working counterparts. However, if you look at the God-given task of teaching your children at home from a new perspective, you begin to see what a blessing the career choice of homeschooling is for you. So many drawbacks of the typical job do not relate to your world. You have the freedom to pursue your position in ways many parents who work outside the home never do.
Too many times in my years as a homeschooling mother, I failed to see the bigger picture of what God was doing in my life and the lives of my children. I needed to have my eyes opened like Elisha's servant who saw the whole army of heaven around him (2 Kings 6:17). From God's perspective, what you are doing as a homeschooling parent has long-lasting and eternal value.
As you homeschool today, picture yourself at the best job you could ever have. The grass is greener on this side of the fence, and your regular paycheck of hugs and kisses from your family is more rewarding than what any company can pay you. Enjoy the freedoms you have as a homeschooling parent and be the successful teacher God intended you to be! "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).
Jesus, what a wonderful opportunity You have given to me! Not only do I get the blessings of being a parent, but You have also blessed me with an awesome career of being a teacher. Help me to keep my eyes on You today as I homeschool. In Your name, Amen.
Comments(21 comments)
TERESA C 11/02/2009 14:41:42
thanks...I needed that!!!
DENISE P 11/03/2009 23:05:54
I loved receiving and reading daily focus, daily!
....no words could describe how appreciative I am to receive these daily focus as it truly helps me feel at home within myself.
New to AOP...hope I get to join from this point on...
Denise
DAWN MARIE P 11/02/2010 02:26:53
Thank you so much! This was a message I definitely needed to hear!
Sherri W 11/02/2010 03:03:01
Having the big picture in mind keeps me motivated to keep pushing through the hard days.
OLIVIA S 11/02/2010 05:38:30
All homeschool students are lucky to have parents to help them, I'm different, I teach myself, No one helps me, I wonder if these devotions are only for parents, why not teens who take care of themselves.. basically.. =( My family doesn't understand, and they're too busy!
DAYNA B 11/02/2010 06:48:26
You are right Olivia S. Children who have parents to help them are lucky.
It's too bad that many children do not see how fortunate they are. However, you have God on your side to help you. And having God on your side, who can be against you? I know this road you are traveling all too well. I was abused by my father since I was nine. Then, from the age of 14 til I graduated from high school, I was a ward of the state. Many times I felt like I was orphaned and still do sometimes. But this I know, Jesus Christ died to set me free. And as long as I have Him in my heart then I am not orphaned, or alone because I have been adopted into the best family there is, with God as the Father. Always remember that God cares! He never leaves you nor forsakes you. He loves you! And that is the best and most perfect love there is.
LEXI W 11/02/2010 06:57:45
Thank you so much for this! I needed it today:)
And Olivia, you are officially on our prayer list as a family.... Press in precious, God has many rewards for your discipline. I would like to challenge you to say Proverbs 31 over yourself daily, and insert your name where it says she or her...insert your name or I.... I have 4 little ladies 9 and under and we do this regularly... Before I had children, it changed my life... and God will take me back to it when I get off course to remind me what I am to be. (and even do the husband lines too...you are calling in for whomever he is to be what God created him to be too)
God bless you... author of this blog.
And prayers to you Olivia:)
HOLLIE H 11/02/2010 07:32:07
You are absolutely right! We do have the best job in the world! Before all of my babies arrived, I worked at a daycare center as a teacher. This gift of homeschooling is a lot harder, but so much more rewarding because of all of the reasons in your message. Yes, sometimes I miss the monetary paycheck, but it could never equal the treasures I receive each day as Mama.
Thank you for this fresh perspective today, it reminded me of how very blessed I am!
As for Olivia, hang in there honey! God has big plans for your life and will use these hard times to help you grow in ways beyond our understanding!
I'm a grown woman who still can't understand her parents sometimes, but our heavenly Father has never failed me. Look to Him for the guidance you need and only He can provide "I will lift my eyes to the hills from where my help comes. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2.
elsie c 11/02/2010 07:38:45
thank you for the encouragement. Please pray for our family of 8. Please pray for wisdom, strength,provision and protection for our family.
Thank you
cindy n 11/02/2010 07:53:04
i do not want this to be a public comment, as it is negative. i will read the excellent devotions on one page, but to have to continue, wait, look for the continuation of which article i was reading, is too much trouble. i really liked it on one page.
SHERI W 11/02/2010 10:42:39
Thanks for the daily encouragement! One thing that some parents see as a hindrance I, as a homeschooling mom, see as a learning opportunity! Our 3 children (now aged 10, 7 & 5-1/2) have always gone to the polls with us to vote. They have understood from an early age the importance of voting. That is one of the little small gifts! Many teenagers haven't been "shown" the importance, they've only heard it in school and it may not have been presented to them in a way that stressed the importance of it. Blessings to all!
Lori R 11/05/2010 11:21:00
Ah, yes, but I DO work outside the home and homeschool too!! Don't forget that some of us are the ONLY bread-winner in our families. I work three 12 hour night shifts a week as a nurse and come home to homeschool my 12 year old daughter. She does Monarch online and I preview and review everything and go over anything she doesn't understand daily. I do Art, Music, Library, and Gym separately. We also watch educational documentaries together and she free-reads approx 3 books of her choosing each week. I will not say it is easy but it can be done!
OLIVIA S 11/05/2010 21:48:22
@ Dayna B Thank you so much for caring, I too was abused, and during my middle school years my dad went to jail, then got sent off island, and life's been really rough. My mom fell to pieces, and I just stopped coming to her for anything/advice and she too separated herself from us, her family. so it's like a big gap in the family. I learned to put God first because of my grandmother, she really helped me see that God's way is perfect and not to depend on other people for happiness including her. Even though my grandma doesn't really understand my work, I believe God will give me the wisdom like you said. She is one busy lady, but In my family she is the only strong Christian, everyone not so, but I'm praying for them.
@Lexi W Thanks Lexi, I will try that. To be honest, Proverbs is my favorite book in the Bible, once I turned away from my old sinful nature, that was the chapter I've always read, and made me stronger, God bless you and your family, take care. ~Olivia
@Hollie H thanks Hollie, what you said inspired me to keep on keeping all, as well as for everyone who wrote to me, inspired me to do good, and my best. Thank you so much =) God is so Great and I love him, sometimes I do forget that God is and will always be there for me, and for everyone who is in need of his help.
ALISHA S 11/02/2011 03:07:57
An inspiration to keep on going in my calling no matter how~
TERRI C 11/02/2011 07:52:26
After a week of being in a hs slump, I needed to read this. Amen
ESTHER K 11/03/2011 09:07:29
Hello Olivia S.
I just wanted you to know that you are an inspiration to me, and a reminder of the work God did in me when I was similarly "alone" in my homeschooling struggles. It is when we are most alone, that we tend to reach out to God himself for help and comfort.
At 14 I suffered a nervous breakdown after various stresses and could no longer handle going to public high school. I had to motivate myself to start homeschooling on my own. My parents, who never got more than grade school education themselves, never got involved in helping me homeschool. It was so totally beyond them. So I started small and learned to be a completely independent-thinking, inquisitive learner. I am much stronger and better off for this tough time in my life.
Today, I am encouraging my own two girls to become strongly independent learners in our own little homeschool environment. They get a huge pay-off for my pioneering struggles. We have quite a few good discussions that cut through alot of the conventional knowledge we are fed by the media, etc, and give us food for thought.
Just think, your situation drove you into need so much that you are seeking for the real comfort of knowing and being known by God. That is above what people who are in a seemingly perfect situation are normally motivated to do. So this, even though the circumstances seem harsh and godless, has had a very good effect on you. Personally, looking back, I don't regret any of the hard stuff I went through, because so much of my character was molded by it. I really see it as God's grace now.
I just recently saw a wall plaque that completely resonates with me: Tough times don't last...tough people Do. That is what God is creating...he needs those people to stand up for him in the coming time of trials we are headed into. He will strengthen you and me not only for today, but for every day's trouble. Let's continue to believe in Him and His daily power.
Thanks for sharing your heart with us.
Sincerely, EstherK
LORI H 11/02/2012 04:58:01
WelI I am a BRAND NEW struggling homeschool mother! You see I have a type B very laid back (Sanquine) personality for those of you who know what that means. I am naturally very unstructured, easily distracted & scattered. I love the Lord and I love people with all my heart. But order is not my strong point. So I am really struggling with feeling like I\'m not capable of doing a good job with my 8th grade Sanguine daughter. It feels like the blind leading the blind many times. Is there anyone out there who has successfully homeschooled with my personality traits? That\'s why these devotionals have been such a life line for me. Because I\'m just starting out I\'ve not had the chance to find a support group yet. Thank you so much for the daily encouragement!
Lori
MARGARET H 11/02/2012 06:18:41
Lori, hi maybe this will help although I am not your personality type I do have a child that is sanquine. Sometimes she drives me crazy because I am so opposite. Then I have a 6th grade daughter who is like me and my son kinda in between but gets all his work done. If you struggle with getting it all done switched on school house or Monarch can be a salvation tool. I use it for my son in 9th grade and my daughter will start Monarch in January she is in 11th. I love this program because it grades and keeps records of all their work. Also you can choose the projects you want to do or not in one click . I can monitor so easily with this program it has been a great choice. You also might consider doing school year round taking breaks when you need and scheduling your own vacation days. This is the way we do school I give my children7 days to complete their work we try to get everything done in the day but sometimes they like to take a break and work in the evening. All work is due by Sunday at midnight. This has kept us on track and we schedule days off when we need it and sometimes work longer days as time allows. We still take a summer break for 2 months but choose when we want to. I hope this helps. God Bless,
Margaret
KATHY S 11/02/2012 06:24:16
Olivia S.
Everyday I read your posts, I just want to give you a great big Hug and say \"You are doing such a great job and Jesus Loves you sooooo much!\"
I\'m thankful that your Grandmother is a Christian woman. Even though she may not be able to help you with your schoolwork, I\'m sure she loves you.
My Mom is 75 and whenever I suggest on a rare day that I have a Doctor\'s appointmnet, that she do school with my son, she\'s afraid too, because she doesn;t understand the work, it\'s bee so long since she was in school.
I firmly believe, as I am a single Mom, and my Father passed away many years ago, that when Jesus says he will be a Father to all those without one, he means it.
My son\'s Father can;t find the time to make his once a year visit now in over 2 years. And you know that\'s just fine, we don\'t need him, we just need Jesus.
Whenever I or my son get down or things are going wrong, Jesus is there to help us. He has provided through many people and in so many ways.
Hang in there Olivia, you are doing great and you will get through your schooling. You amaze me that you are able to do your work on your own.
As for homeschooling being a great and flexible job, It sure is!
We love that we can do our work at any hour of the day, take lunch when we fee like it. My son having ADD and Aspergers, many breaks are needed and alot of rediredction. But that\'s all great. Because we are able to do it because of homeschooling. I always pray that God keeps his hands on us homeschoolers and that our government never takes away gthis great blessing we have available to us.
Everyone enjoy your homeschooling job today! God Bless!
CARRIE D 11/02/2012 18:29:51
Thank You for the wonderful article! I needed words of encouragement today.
LARECIA TUCKER 11/02/2013 15:07:40
I really needed this today. Due to financial reasons I am looking to go back to work "to make a paycheck and contribute" but I am contributing right here at home. I am praying to continue to homeschool with or without working "making a paycheck".