Swinging High
Posted in Daily Focus on Monday, June 23, 2014
"I can swing higher than you," shouted my oldest daughter to the neighbor children who had come over to play.
"No, you can't," they retorted. "We can swing just as high as you!"
As I washed the dishes and looked out the open kitchen window, I could hear their childish competitive banter and knew trouble was looming. Although taking a break from homeschooling during the summer provided more opportunities for my children's friends to visit, it also required more supervision of their activities. I watched as each child began to swing harder and higher. Just as I decided to dry my hands and walk outside to tell them to stop swinging so high, the entire swing set toppled over and crashed to the ground, along with the children. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but the bumps and bruises taught each of them a valuable lesson in humility.
King Nebuchadnezzar also had to learn the hard lesson of humility before a holy God. After building a huge gold image of himself, he required everyone in the kingdom to bow down in worship. When three young Hebrew captives, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, refused to worship this arrogant king's statue, God proved Himself mighty and delivered them from the fiery furnace and Nebuchadnezzar's wrath (Daniel 3:19-30). However, even after this humbling experience from God, Nebuchadnezzar again exalted himself by claiming credit for Babylon's glory (Daniel 4:30). For the next seven years, God punished Nebuchadnezzar's pride with insanity. He became like an animal, ate grass, and grew nails like bird's claws. At the end of that time, Nebuchadnezzar finally exclaimed, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase" (Daniel 4:37).
What about you? Has selfish pride taken hold of your life? Even though you may think you have the answers to all of homeschooling's questions, you don't. Each child is a unique creation and gift from the Lord, and only He can guide you as you choose curriculum and lessons to successfully homeschool your child. Don't let your independent spirit cause you to stumble and fall. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).
Father, help me to remember You are in control of our homeschooling. Teach me to walk in Your ways and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me each day. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(5 comments)
RUSS P 06/23/2012 07:18:54
When I told a parent of a child who was watching almost constant TV that we did lessons on the weekends, he could hardly believe it. He was so programmed to get his weekend off, he had trouble understanding that his weekend was just a construction of his mind. We take an occasional day off or have partial homeschooling days during the summer. Our son does better with this regimen than with weekends off and summers absent of learning. He doesn\'t rebel against going back to lessons again, doesn\'t get bored and enjoys his feelings of competence.
KATHY S 06/23/2012 08:35:21
I don\'t think that without God\'s guidance, and mercy we would have gotten through this school year.
The transistion from Sept. 1 to November of having a \"Public school district \" teacher teaching my son at the Library (for my son\'s saftey, because the school was so bad ) through that time period,
then, in November, I took over.
I had absolutley no idea where to start. So, making good use of the 5 hours at the Library waiting for my son to do his lessons with his teahcer, I started to research about homeschoolong. There actually is a whole secttion now ( which is funny, because when I originally asked, there was like one shelf of homeschool books).
Then, God guided me to our local \"Teacher supply store\" through a friends sister\'s referral. Then my other friend guided me to AOP for the rest of the curriculum and these wonderful devotionals.
Being we started 1/2 way through the year, but from the beginning of the books, it was a bit challenging. I wanted to start \"midway\" in the books, because that\'s where we were in the school year.
But, all the books that I purchased, were different than what he was using from the school district.
So, I had to drop my \"pride\" and start from the beginning of all the curriculum I bought. We still have a bit of Math to finish off.
But, in reality since we started and re-did alot of work we should be free from it, but, I don\'t wan\'\'t my son to miss anything so we\'ll do a little more over the summer. One day a week for an hour or so should do the trick.
I don\'t know about anyone else, but everytime I hear the story of \"King Nebecnezzer\" my mind immediatley turns to the \"Veggie Tales episode with the Chocolate Bunny. It\'s just drilled in my head after I watched so may times with my son!!
Have a Great and Fun day everyone!!
LAURALEIGH W 06/23/2012 09:21:28
God is amazing! He protects our children from potential tradgedy so often that many times we forget to thank him or take Him for granted. I live on a cul-de-sac that has 10 homes and the children among us total 19 with ages new born to fifteen. The majority are boys, me contributing three! The potential for danger or injury is constant, but with God as their ultimate babysitter, I have learned to ease up on my maternal paranoid safety guard.
I still am horrified that your swingset actually fell over! I\'m sure your heart jumped out of your body for a minute until you knew all the kids were still breathing! God was definitely supervising that swinging competition! Who else but God could bring about such a dramatic end to a race heading for a spiritual & emotional disaster by getting rid of the swing set altogether! I hope this brought all the kids closer together. After all, they now share a common bond through God\'s work. He may have destroyed a play set, but He spared them all at the same time. What an experience for those kids to build a solid friendship for life!
Just curious...have you put another swing set up? I can only imagine if you do, that this one will be anchored with concrete 4 feet in the ground and must pass a test of strength between Godzilla, Optimas Prime, and Superman before you let your kids swing on it! I wish you all the best!
You sound like a terrific mom! Your kids and neighbor kids are lucky to have you!
LAURALEIGH W 06/23/2012 10:32:04
Dear Kathy S,
I really wish we could talk! We have so much in common. I can feel your pain when you talk about your little boy. THE LIBRARY?!? The terror he must have faced is too emotional for me to dwell on, because my sweet little boy also experienced the disgusting behavior of other children along with lackadaisical irresponsible teachers who FAILED to do their jobs ad nauseam. My breaking point also occurred before year end. We had one month left, but my heart had taken a stand! I am one stubborn girl, which many can attest to, and that final incident at school brought forth my bullet proof stubbornness. I knew that we would never return to that place again. (With one exception being the day I happily and formally appeared at their office to withdraw both of my boys!)
I am not up and running yet, but trying my best to prepare. I am not scared, but rather lost. I feel kind of adrift, like a Cheerio out in the middle of an ocean. I could rattle off 100+ questions of who, how, what, when etc. but that would for sure turn me from lost to scared! I prefer simple people which defined, means honest, real, trustworthy, and true to themselves and others. I don\'t have the time or patience to listen to hoopla from any overly dramatic, micromanaging, helicopter parent, who thrives on making trivia into complexities for the thrill or \"high\" it gives them to make others feel frighteningly overwhelmed and inadequate!
I have learned the hard way to simply walk away from their nonsense, and today I can spot those people almost before they open their mouth\'s. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for keeping me involved in these devotionals! I think God has a way of connecting certain people together at just the right times and for all the right reasons! We all do need someone to lean on when burdens get so heavy. Karen, I am a great listener and obviously a big talker too, but I would enjoy getting to know you better. My husband is wonderful, but he is atypical Daddy material, Mr. Fix It my way, in other words not the best listener at times.
I have been praying for you and your heart! I cannot imagine the terrifically earth shattering feelings you experience now when anything at all makes you aware & self conscious of each beat of your heart. I pray that God protects and cures you beyond better but to the best condition of your life. Believe and it can happen! I believe! I am proof that God heals and there is not a day without me thanking Him for my life and His great faith in me!
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
May God bless and watch over you and your family!
KATHY S 06/23/2012 13:39:30
Dear Lauraleigh W.
I am so glad you stopped back! And thgank you so much for your kind words and concern.
I am so sorry for your little boy too. WE are alot alike.
I too, the day I went to get my son from school for his Dr. appt. knew it was the last day he would walk through those doors.
I picked him up from the office, he didn\'t sppeak and I could see a look of horror on his face. He wouldn\'t lok directly at me, now I know why, his face was damaged.
When he got into the car, He lost it completley. I had not seen him in this state of mind ever.
It was like he could barely speak the tears and anger and just complete exhaustion from his experience. This was the day that he was trying to go to his locker early to leave with me to see his DR. as he was already sick.
While at his locker. some kid runs by, jumps up and punches my son in the head. No reason, my son had no idea who this kid even was.
He had already been bitten in Gym class, and I had a picture of it, which I sent to the school superintendant, principal, Vice principal ect. Spit at. poked , called names I will not repeat.
I don\'t like those words being used towards anyone. Jabbed with pencils. I was there constantly.
But that day, I knew, he would never return, and I would never even suggest it.
I called the school set up meetings, (which never did any good)and let them know, since they couldn\'t protect my son, I would, and my son would never return.
He still has nightmares. still in therapy, I am full of guilt for not removing him sooner.
I didn\'t know that I could be capable of homeschooling, it\'s by God\'s grace that I do.
I just knew that he would not have another yewar like 6th grade. He was only in 7th grade a total of 3 days before I removed him, and then made the district provide a private teacher until I could figure out something else.
Thank you for your prayers!! I will pray for you too as you go on your homeschool journey. I\'m not full of advice, just pray and love your kids, (and I know you do!) the rest somehow, just falls into place(God\"s Help).
And thank you for the prayers for my heart too. I do feel so helpless in the sense that I really need to be here to raise and protect my son, I just have to be well.
If your hubby\'s busy fixing and unable to listen, I\'m here!! You seem so very nice. Thank you again!! I check in everyday, so we can keep updates on eachother.