Lost
Posted in Daily Focus on Tuesday, March 11, 2014
"For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:24a).
The day had started expectantly for our family as we left on a field trip to Denver, Colorado. My children were looking forward to visiting the planetarium and seeing artifacts and rocks on display at the museum of natural history. Wonderfully, the entire day had lived up to our hopeful expectations, and only one stop remained before beginning our long drive back home. With a time limit of one hour or less, my husband dropped us off at the Christian bookstore.
My three oldest children left for the music department to listen to CDs, while my four-year-old son and I proceeded to shop for gifts for upcoming birthdays. Normally, I'm very attentive to my children's whereabouts while shopping, but after reading the verses in several cards, I looked down and saw that my son was gone. Thinking he had rejoined his older siblings, I began to look around for the four of them, but neither they nor my young son were in sight. After scanning the store, I located my older children, but our perfect day came to a terrible end as I realized what every mother fears most — my son was lost!
Circumstances in life can change so rapidly. One day we think we are safe and secure with money in the bank and food on the table, and the next day brings devastating problems that bring us to our knees. Like Job in the Old Testament, problems can hit us like a tsunami and wipe out all our joys in a single moment. Fortunately, my tidal wave of terror ceased that day. After searching with my three oldest children for over an hour, we finally found my youngest son asleep in the back seat of our car with his father fast asleep in the front.
Are you filled with uncertainty while you homeschool? Do you feel on top of the world one day and down in the valley the next? If you are just beginning to homeschool, it may seem like a rollercoaster ride for several months or even a few years. Hang on! God will help level out your teaching days with His loving care and guidance, and He will help you find your way. "O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them" (Psalm 89:8-9).
Lord, here I go again. I feel so lost in our homeschooling. Teach me to trust You for the wisdom I need to be the best teacher I can be for my children. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Comments(17 comments)
CATHY A 03/11/2009 15:48:48
Just when I needed it most!! I have a 1 year old who is walking now and homeschool seems to be almost impossible right now!!
Thanks again and God bless always!
DONNA J 03/11/2010 12:13:09
Homeschoolers sometimes feel lost while guiding their ship thru fog, and Holy Bible is our light house. (reposted by @UnderstandJesus) We'll never truly be lost, though it may feel that way sometimes.
ELIZABETH J 03/11/2010 14:57:53
This article has truly been a blessing to me. The last few weeks I have been battling kidney stones, with my husband working full time I feel like school is just on the back burner! My kids have learned alot in the last couple of weeks but maybe not anything that you can learn from a book. My oldest son has been changing diapers. My oldest daughter has been warming soup in the microwave for lunch. And my youngest 2 have learned that the world really doesn't revolve around they're every want and desire and that well....there are more ways than one to get a diaper changed LOL. Maybe next week mama won't be on so many medications and my family won't feel so LOST!!!
PATRICIA O 03/11/2011 04:50:56
wow the verse .......were you watching the news! God amazes me with his timely word
CHRISTINE C 03/11/2011 06:24:36
Thank you for the TIMELY reminder this morning. Praying for peace in devestated Japan.
FRANCES B 03/11/2011 06:42:21
Is it true that the Word calls ALL parents to educate their own children? Is it possible that though I am home, He would tell me to send my children to a school each day? Does the Word ever say that to parents? Does HE tell families to do that in some cases? Should I even be listening for that? or is home schooling a basic act opf faith, like prayer and being in the Word, and the commandments......Should I let go of my fear that He never called me to this? That I am on the wrong path? Would he EVER call me otherwise?
TRICIA M 03/11/2011 07:18:29
I know this has nothing to do with homeschool but, has anyone else realized the coincidence of today's devotional mention of a tsunami when there has just been one this morning in Japan? Psalm 89: 8-9 is very appropriate for this morning. Let us remember the people of Japan and claim God's sovereignty for them.
Tricia Murray
CARIN M 03/11/2011 07:31:37
Thank you. This is just what I needed to hear today. We are 1 1/2 years into home schooling with 4 children ages 7 and under. The teaching days are becoming smoother and smooter, with less and less days of rough seas. Thank you for reminding me that it will eventually even out. Thank you for the encouragement I needed today. I love this morning devotional.
JACKIE B 03/11/2011 09:24:39
To Frances B. and any other moms feeling this way: Have peace in knowing that not everyone is called to home school at the same season in their lives. Yes, it is our responsibility to raise our children in the ways they should go, but the Lord still calls some of us to work for "seasons" in our lives. Since being out of work more than once in the past 5 years (both my husband and I), I have truly learned that NOTHING is permanent..........but the Lord God Almighty! Maybe now is not your season to school your children, but who's to say that He won't call you to do so next year? Prayerfully seek the Lord in all you do, and he will bring you success in what you're doing, as long as you're listening to his voice and guidance. ;-)
TERRI LEE S 03/11/2011 10:02:33
Two things - I keep hearing about Japan, but the tsunami warnings are for twenty countries, one of which I am living in now (Ecuador). Second - why on earth didn't the husband go into the store and tell the mother where her son was. My husband (dense as he is) would have known I would have been frantic if my 4-year-old son disappeared like that.
TERRI LEE S 03/11/2011 10:06:55
Frances B - if you are at all alarmed about what is being taught in public school or in our case our own denomination's private school, than God is calling you to homeschool. You have a sphere of influence if you homeschool that can't and won't be duplicated if you send your kids to public school. Public schools where there is no Christian influence is a rarely new phenomenon.
TERRI LEE S 03/11/2011 10:08:19
Jackie B. - can you calculate how much damage will be done to your children each year they are in public school?
TERRI LEE S 03/11/2011 10:11:40
Elizabeth J. - I hope and pray you will be feeling better soon. It is a blessing to be able to turn lemons into lemonade and I think you made a good point about book learning. Your children could get credit for home ec and early child development. God bless.
KELLE F 03/11/2011 19:48:02
Prayers for you Elizabeth for a quick recovery. My mom had major surgery when I was in high school. My older brother became 'mom' for about 6 weeks, making meals, helping with homework, etc. I cherish that time and recall thinking very highly of him to take over like that for my mom. I bet your children will remember how the family came together to take care of you as much as you take care of them....
As for this I cried when I read today's devotional. We just recently pulled our Aspie son out of school. I heard deschooling was a challenge. I feel like he's missing out on learning, but I know he needs time to decompress. I have been very stressed about everything. I continue to research curriculum and lots of free sites so I can have things for him to do to learn thru play, etc. Some days we just read in our bible and play board games. I feel guilty and worried he's not learning. This devotional helped to remember that I must rely on HIM because I firmly know in my heart He has called me to this.
KATHY S 03/11/2012 09:47:15
First, my heart goes out to all the people in Japan that are remembering the oneyear anniversary of the devistation they endured in the tsunami at that time. I keep lookiing on the news to see if there are more warnings for them today? If so, my prayers are with them for protection and saftey.
Damage to children in Public school, someone mentioned that.
In one school year (last year) and the 3 days my son attended this year, he who also is an \"Aspie\" child . is Still in therapy at the Psychiatrists office, so many fears of people that he see\'s now that are similar to those who abused him at the school.
He wil not go near any children that he doesn\'t know, still has reservations about joing our churches youth group, and basically he only will play or hang out with the few children he has known for a long time and knows that they are \"safe\" . So, one year, can do damage that lasts a very long time.
As for being \"called\" to homeschool, my calling was a letter of desperation from my son, asking, in fact begging me to \"homeschool\" him. Saying how awful and ill behaved, and mean that all the children were at his Public school that he was attending.
My only regret is that I didn\'t pull hm out right then and there, the guilt I bear from this is a huge burden.
For all parents wondering if they can do it or not, are you qualified enough? I didn\'t think I could do it then, but after the abuse continued into 7th grade, after my son was punched in the head, when all he was trying to do was get his bookbag to leave early for Doctor appointment as he was already ill.
That was the last straw, I didn\'t care that I only Had a High school diploma,that I wan\'t good in Math, and that ( as everyone reminded me) I would never have a minute of time alone. It didn;\'t matter anymore, I just wanted my son to be safe and not to endure abuse.
A year can do alot of damage. I\'d like to say if you were in District 86 here as we were, but the more I have read on the AOP website, it seems as bullying is nationwide here in America.
My son has bad dreams about the abuse from the children that abused him, the lack of help from the staff that negelcted to help him there. We pray nightly for \"good dreams or no dreams\" so that he can at least have peace in his sleep.
Damages from Public for almost all of the time and Catholic school (for 5 months) will probably be that of a lifetime. I hope that healing will continue, but, somethings I fear will never leave him (aside from God\'s intervention,And I do know that God can do anything).
To the Author,
I too was in a similar situation a week or so ago.
At Walmart doing grocery shopping for us and my elderley Mother, my son again who is 12 but has many \"special needs\", asked if he could go to the electronics department, I said yes as I wasn\'t too far away from that department. After a few minutes, my son always comes back to check in with me as he knows my concern for him always. He came back once and that was it. After about 15 minutes, I was starting to get frantic, I went to the electronice department, and he was no where to be found. I started describing him and asking employees, who were telling me they had not seen him.
I always carry a recent picture of my son in my wallet and remember what he\'s wearing for just this type of incident.
When I was describing my son who is 6 ft 1 inch tall and 12 years old, the employees were looking at me like I was nuts, as that\'s the size of an adult, and the age of almost a teenager.
I wanted to just express that his age and size didn\'t matter, he is \"Special\". And as many times as we have gone over all the scenarios of people who take children and how they go about it, I felt I hadn\'t done enough.
I walked through each department, looking and calling his name, no one answering, my son not in sight.
Time continued to go by and my heart started palpitating worse. I asked at Customer service for them to \"page\" my son over the intercom. I am a single Mom, so there was no husband for him to go to.
I kept asking God to protect him and just lket me find him, Finally, after about 45 more minutes (which felt like an eternity) I spotted my son, I could see the anxiety in his face and I\'m sure he saw the same in my face. My eyes were etaring up as I explained how we must have a spot we meet should we ever be separated again here or at any store we frequent. I know all parents have at one time or another been through the that horrible feelling of \"where is my child\", whether it is for a second or an hour, it\'s the worse feeling one can have.
To Kelle F. you are doing an awesome job with your son, and keep up the great work !! No guilt needed for you. My son an \"Aspie\" child too, is learning in his own way with our own form of teaching, just as you are doing. I\'m sure your son is happy just being with you, and will learn easier with you than in a traditional school environment. My son is so happy he is homeschooled, I think he tries harder than when he was in Public school. My son learns differently, processes things differently, and that\'s all o.k., as long as he is learning, it\'s all fine.
We chose to do one subject a day, as it is easier for him to stay on one subject than switching back and forth. For us it works. And some days, I leave the books, pick a subject say in history, look it up on the internet and we read together, or we will watch a movie pertaining to t5he subject or event.
All children are not the same in the way they learn, so keep doing what you are doing, I know your son must just be happy that you are his teacher!
Everyone have a Blessed Sunday !
KATHY SPIELER 03/11/2013 14:39:17
Dear AOP,
Will there be new devotionals? I am reading this and I see that my son was 12 when I wrote the above, he'll be 14 in a few days.
No big deal if not, but I'd like to know if I should "rush" to my AOP devotionals or take my time in the morning.
Either way, they are free, always good and I appreciate them. I just hope that there are some new ones soon!
Thanks!
Catherine Thomas 03/13/2014 12:50:12
This post brought me to tears. It was exactly where I am and how I feel. Lost in a new world of homeschooling. This is our second year. We have nine children. Six went through public school and now our youngest three are home. I feel extremely inadequate with my own shortcomings.
Managing time better is being learned. I realized that helping to care for elderly parents, one with dementia, wasn't going to go away. Neither were our responsibilities of living on a working farm. Free time seems rare, but I know that these three will only be here for a short time until they launch out on their own.
Although I feel like my life is being poured out "like a drink offering" most days, I am learning to lean on Him in a much greater way.
Thank you so much for your posts. They really are live giving.
Cathy T.