Timeout for Mom
Posted in Daily Focus on Saturday, February 15, 2014
"I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm 57:2).
Did you wake up this morning wishing you could just have a few hours or an entire day to yourself before homeschooling? Imagine the possibilities with that amount of unscheduled time! You could read a book, soak in the tub, actually fold the clean clothes on the couch and put them away, polish your shoes, weed the flower bed, window shop, take a friend you haven't seen in months to lunch, or spend a full hour with the Lord in prayer for your loved ones.
Every homeschooling mother treasures moments for herself when they come, but the problem is they rarely come on their own. If we want to stay emotionally and spiritually healthy to enjoy homeschooling our children, we must make taking time for these moments a number one priority. Without them, we shrivel up and die within, and homeschooling becomes one repetitious day after the next. The Lord Jesus Christ needed timeouts to get through His day (Luke 5:16). Often, He left the disciples and the crowds to be alone and find strength from His Heavenly Father. A wise homeschooling mom will say "no" to the false guilt she feels for "stealing" a few hours for herself and learn from Christ's example. Besides, your children will enjoy homeschooling much more, too, with a content and happy teacher.
Is today your day to rejuvenate and find yourself again? Don't wait for help to fall from the sky. Humble yourself and ask for it. Call a fellow homeschooler and ask her if you can trade watching each other's children every other week. Maybe your parents or grandparents have promised to teach your children a new skill and today's the day to cash in on that promise. Maybe you could ask your husband to use half a vacation day and homeschool the children. (Don't worry. They'll still learn, even if he doesn't teach them the same way as you!) God knows you can't homeschool on your own. Trust Him for the right answer to help you take a timeout for Mom! "Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped" (Psalm 28:6-7a).
Father, take my tired spirit and provide the moments I need to be filled with Your strength. Please, send someone today who will support me in homeschooling. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(16 comments)
AMY M 02/16/2010 22:33:17
thank you for the reminder that the Lord wants us to take a break and rest.
MICHAEL M 02/18/2010 09:30:07
Thank you. A few decades have passed since my high school days of resolving vectors. You know, it hasn\'t become any easier. However I do now appreciate our Lords wisdow in His creation work. Can\'t wait until we are no longer restricted to these laws of physics!
Michael
CHRISTINE E 02/15/2011 10:21:54
Thank you so much for this timely reminder that the LORD is, indeed, our strength, our song, our rest.
ASHLEY M 02/15/2011 18:58:45
It\'s nice to know I\'m not the only one with clean clothes constantly laying of the couch! Their folded, well except the socks sometimes, but they can\'t seem to put themselves away the way I would like them too!! Love the scripture!!!! Thank you for the encouraging word and the reminder that needing a break is necessary for everyone!!!
CRYSTAL M 02/16/2011 22:02:52
I have a laundry room, yet the clean clothes are still always folded on the couch.. and staying there. Since our move a year ago, I have no family around, my husband works out of province and no friendships. Since starting homeschooling, I haven\'t had friendships to speak of, so asking for help so I can take a break is impossible. Yet I do have one friend who I know will never forsake me...I just need to make more time in my day to spend with Him. Falling behind as it is, but I suppose it won\'t hurt to fall a little more behind if it means more time with Him. Perhaps I will learn in God\'s eyes, he\'s not looking for \"educated\" kids, but humble servants. We might all need to take a break from homeschooling to focus on true \"education\"...how God defines it.
BRANDY D 02/18/2011 05:21:15
This is a little off topic. But the verse meant something to me for a different reason. I have been struggling to decide which way to go with our homeschool curriculum. I felt like what we were using just wasn\'t working for us. I prayed for guidance and have decided to use the Weaver Curriculum. I am so thankful that when I leaned on Him, he guided me through a difficult decision. Now I am at peace.
VALARIE H 02/15/2012 05:06:46
Thank you so much. God has sent a support for me today through you. God bless you today.
AMY R 02/15/2012 08:50:56
Crystal M....I\'ve been through times like that before...I know how tough it can be, but it\'s encouraging to see that you know which is the most important \"Friendship\" to foster! I\'ll be praying for you!
CONNIE H 02/15/2012 08:52:25
I recently found myself becoming a very grouchy and unhappy teacher. It began to show in the work my kiddos were doing in class as well. God showed me that this wasn\'t why I had decided to homeschool my children and as I humbled myself and prayed I found that I wasn\'t taking enough time for me. I felt trapped. I changed my schedule to allow time to meet up with our local homeschool support group on Monday afternoons and time for their grandmother to read to them from Little House on the Prairie on Fridays. Monday gives us all some fun time and me some adult time with other homeschool moms and the reading on Friday gives me a break to take a short nap, fold clothes, read, crochet or whatever I want to do. It has really helped. I did have to squash the guilt the first several times but now we really enjoy it.
CARRIE K 02/15/2012 09:29:22
I had planned to take off on Saturday to spend time alone, even spending one night in a local hotel in order to cram in all the quiet time I need. But when my husband came up with a compelling family activity for this Saturday, I was seriously considering passing up my plans. Not now!! Whew, that was a close one! Thank you for the reminder and encouragement!
SHERYL C 02/15/2012 10:51:34
If I don\'t put God first in the morning to learn from Him and pray for my household, I don\'t have God\'s special blessing and Godly attitude, nor do the kids do well in their day. Samson took off one morning thinking he had God\'s blessing and didn\'t and what a day that was for him (remember the woman cutting his hair the night before which was his Godly strength... and then the next day.....he went out....). I don\'t like those days so we don\'t do them anymore as best as we can help it!
LYNN S 02/15/2012 13:57:38
This is a much needed topic. Mothers are known for their sacrificial nature.
I do believe the time we do spend to refresh and become reinvigorated is essential to a healthy attitude.
One more note that I am learning about is how to best spend time laid aside to become refreshed. I recently found myself feeling a little frustrated and I called out to Jesus that I needed Me time. Then I realized that the time I was taking to watch a nightly series show was eating up too much of THAT time so I decided to cut that out and just gather my family and pray together and read from the book of Psalm. The next morning I felt refreshed. I have also encouraged my daughters to set aside two nights a week to refrain from video games and focus on our family. A take-out night, menu of their choice. My 14 year old loved it and was excited to do it again this week. One of those nights is Sunday and the other Wednesday. We pray for others in our family who are sick or struggling, use that time after supper to pray for them and bring up any struggles we experience in a non- confrontational manner. The rewards are long reaching concerning Home Education and can often remain unseen but at the appointed time I am convinced that we will all be glad we as parents considered and answered this calling. I pray for all my Home schooling sisters and brothers. Let us not give up as so many do.
KATHY S 02/15/2012 16:41:14
Kind of interesting that this devotional came today. For 2 weeks I have been looking for a \" sitter\" for my son, so my Mom and I could just go to lunch togther, lunch with a low key fashion show during lunch time.
All of my friends work during the day, we have no homeschool support groups as I just started a few months ago, and no available relatives.
So, we talked to my son, and asked if he would mind terribly going with us if we sat in a booth way in the back of the restaurant. My son is so agreeable and loving, he said \"no problem\".
We just got home a few hours ago, and we all had a nice time together!
We ran into people that my son hadn\'t seen since he was quite small, and they were all so thrilled to see him. He was ahppy to see them too.
So, I am still on 24/7 with my son (excluding a very few Dr. appt.s when my Mom watches him for a few hours). But, that\'s O.K., the Lord showed me today that we all needed a day out to enjoy ourselves !
SHANNON BROWN 02/15/2013 18:11:13
This was so sweet! Yes we do need to take time out! I was trying to do school Monday through Thursday, and then we were so busy over Friday and the weekend with church activities, that come Monday, I was exhausted! I was feeling guilty however, for not wanting to do even attempt school on Monday, but then God reminded me that this is one the reasons I Home School. I have the freedom to do what I think is best. So this week we are now Home Schooling Tues through Friday, and I get to rest on Mondays.. This has worked out so well, for both my son and I.... I LOVE the freedom that we have Home Schooling!!! Shannon
BECCI TAYLOR 02/15/2013 22:49:21
Good reminder. Crystal M email me and we can be long distance friends at least!
BECCI TAYLOR 02/15/2013 22:51:13
Good reminder. Crystal M email me and we can be long distance friends at least!
Bexytay@yahoo.com