The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
How God planted us outside of our small pot and into a sprawling field of harvest
When God convicted my family to disciple our children in an unconventional way by homeschooling, we indeed thought the idea was radical. A friend of ours said: It’s such an old idea, it’s new. Unfamiliar but familiar.
Isn’t it just like us to look at ancient history as something that doesn’t have relevance today? It took my family a while to change our minds—to renew our minds—about what discipleship meant. Its purpose being of eternal value meant having to surrender all that I thought was right.
So, when God called our family to bloom where we were newly planted, we were anxious—yet excited too. What did God have in store for us to do?
For the sake of our children, we believed He moved us around in drastic ways: from the home we were living, the church we were attending, the school our eldest was enrolled in, the jobs my husband held, the shrunken income from two to one, the family and friends He purged out of our lives.
It all made perfect sense.
We had been planted in a smaller pot where roots weren’t allowed to thrive and spread. Now we were in for something scary and risky.
But He is the planter. He is the sower. He lifted us from the familiar rudiments of the world and gave us a renewed mind for His will. He prepared a field of rich soil just for our family and has planted us there, so He could nurture us under His sunlight, His shade, His living water. What a wonder!
Erendira, I’m not a parent, and I thank you for this look into the decision to homeschool. And I had never thought about homeschooling as discipleship…but it is, of course, discipleship at its purest. There’s a bit of Scripture I would love to quote, but I’m too ill right now to remember it.
Something like ‘raise up a child so that he won’t stray from what you’ve taught.’
I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/11/your-dying-spouse-409-necessity-fmf.html
Yes, the verse you are referring to is “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. It is one of those key verses in the homeschool, as well as all of Deuteronomy 6.
I need God’s grace daily for this high calling, and I am so glad His mercies are new every day! Thanks for stopping by, Andrew. Have a wonderful holiday!
I love your willingness to step out of the familiar to trust God and be obedient in stepping out as he called you. His way can seem scary at times but he is a good Father who knows what is best for us. Visiting from FMF.
Thank you Lesley, for visiting. I am so thankful for His bountiful blessing during times of hardship and uncertainty.
Ouch. That’s where I am now. My pot is full of roots. I need to be transplanted into a new pot and spread my wings further.
Thanks for a great post,
Blessings
Janis
Number 8 this week on FMF
It is good when we recognize how God is telling us to bloom elsewhere. The pot is too tight for all the thriving we are to do by His will. I’m glad you stopped by to read, Janis. I appreciate you!
What a teachable attitude and lovely imagery. It can be hard to accept times of upheaval and transition, even if we believe the result to be good. I’m glad God has given you such wonderful perspective on your change of direction.
I’m glad too, Bethany. It is probably the most difficult and delicate work I’ll ever do in my life. It is a daily feat, a daily treat. I am thankful and full. Thanks for stopping by!