Lady Lydia did it again. Excellent quote today:

"When you realize life is not supposed to run smoothly it is easy to adjust to these challenges.  If you are overwhelmed and do not know where to turn, just think, you may have been created for such a time as this. You may also be leaving a message for your family by the way you handle seemingly insurmountable tasks.  There is more to cleaning up a mess than making it look nice.  There is an attitude and a ministry in it."

She was discussing home management but I think it also applies both to homeschooling and parenting in general.  We send messages to those around us by how we handle our challenges.  It is hard to say why God put us each where we are, but we can be certain there IS a reason. It can be difficult to see purpose in apparently thankless tasks like washing dishes destined to return immediately to the sink or mopping floors which will be trod by muddy shoes in short order.  Difficult until we consider that what we are modeling is not simply how to clean but how to persevere, how to remain gentle spirited, how to maintain grace under pressure, how to serve the least of those around us.  Our tasks may well just be the venue chosen to relay those lessons and not simply an end in and of themselves.

A dear friend of mine recently opened her home to a young relative of hers who has had a very sketchy upbringing. They have had a rough transition requiring lots of redirection from her. One very difficult afternoon she felt her nerves fraying and she finally snapped and said,"We need to say our prayers NOW!"  I had to smile when she told me this story. How many of us would have had that reaction?  Admittedly prayer is not always the first thing that comes to mind when I am frazzled. Too often I am too grumpy to pray well right then.  She didnt worry about the "well" part however. In the process she provided a life lesson that tops any practical skill he will learn at their home- that we are kind to one another, that certain behavior is hurtful and therefore unacceptable, and that when we are not doing well we don’t blow up we stop and pray for each other.

I am trying to look at the challenges in our life less like unnecessary interuptions and more like opportunities. It is hard to see something fruitful coming from continued variance from well laid plans. And yet, it does seem like a better life skill to learn how to roll with the punches than how to be in complete control. In my experience life throws lots of punches and absolute control is elusive at best.

If you are a parent, you ARE the curriculum. Kids are much more prone to respond to what we do than what we say. It’s humbling. It’s challenging.  But as a friend of mine has been known to say it isn’t supposed to be easy, just simple.

"But let it be the hidden person of the heart,with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, that is precious in the sight of God."  1Pet 3:4