The Division Among Us
5 years ago, my husband and I felt God leading us towards homeschooling with my oldest son. During this time, the reluctance turned into a passion. I LOVE being around my kids. I LOVE seeing their eyes light up when they learn something new. I really have felt like we are doing the best thing for the two boys (Why the heck else would I do this?!)
And here the trouble begins brewing....whenever we become passionate about something, a bizarre thing bubbles up inside of us. The passion for anything has the capacity to become a disdain for everything that seems to threaten it. .
Once I really started taking notice, I saw it in all sorts of spheres that we are involved in.
In Livestock- Most of us are doing things to the very best of our ability. We are spending a tremendous amount of money and time on these animals, but the passion ends up dividing us against people who do things differently. Commercial breeders vs. Show Stock People (this can get even MORE ridiculous.... Tail Docking vs. Not Tail Docking!) and people divide organizations over this.
Most sadly, within the church. Protestant Vs. Catholic (and this can get even crazier too! Infant baptism vs. adult baptism, communion every week vs. once a month) And we divide God's Church over and over again.
I see this in Private Schools. I see this in homeschool mamas. If you are sending your children to private school, or homeschooling them, you are investing a great deal of resources into that choice. Of course you believe it is THE BEST choice. And subtly, your passion turns into condescension towards public schools.
I see it in politics. Working parents vs. Stay at Home Parents. Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding. And the list can go on and on.
Sadly, no one really wins. Least of all, our children. What they learn from this is that it's us vs. them. They take that with them into their schools, into their churches, into their communities, into their workplace, and it is the very LEAST Jesus-like thing that we can teach our kids.
When our homes should be filled with tax collectors and gentiles, they are instead filled with people who look and think just like us.
My youngest babe, my hardest working and the one I have the MOST fun homeschooling, recently made up his mind to go to public school. I did not even realize that I had adopted this negative attitude until faced with his decision to reject what I thought "the best" choice was for him.
I could say no. I could try and convince him that homeschooling is a better choice. But instead, I'm choosing to celebrate that he has developed his own opinions, apart from mine. He isn't afraid to make decisions. He has enjoyed homeschooling, but can also see the benefits of public school (and has been honest about what he sees as the flaws in both!) and he isn't afraid of crossing the barriers between homeschooling and public schooling.
My prayer for this sweet little man that I have spent the last 2,920 days cultivating is that he goes into the rest of his life with this attitude. That he can be a Gap-Bridger instead of a Wall-Builder wherever God calls him to go. And my prayer for me, for this stubborn, convicted heart of mine is that I can be someone who can admit that not every conviction of mine is 100% correct, 100% of the time, and even when it is, that I can be the type of woman who opens doors to those who think differently.
Galatians 5: 14- The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit.
And here the trouble begins brewing....whenever we become passionate about something, a bizarre thing bubbles up inside of us. The passion for anything has the capacity to become a disdain for everything that seems to threaten it. .
Once I really started taking notice, I saw it in all sorts of spheres that we are involved in.
In Livestock- Most of us are doing things to the very best of our ability. We are spending a tremendous amount of money and time on these animals, but the passion ends up dividing us against people who do things differently. Commercial breeders vs. Show Stock People (this can get even MORE ridiculous.... Tail Docking vs. Not Tail Docking!) and people divide organizations over this.
Most sadly, within the church. Protestant Vs. Catholic (and this can get even crazier too! Infant baptism vs. adult baptism, communion every week vs. once a month) And we divide God's Church over and over again.
I see this in Private Schools. I see this in homeschool mamas. If you are sending your children to private school, or homeschooling them, you are investing a great deal of resources into that choice. Of course you believe it is THE BEST choice. And subtly, your passion turns into condescension towards public schools.
I see it in politics. Working parents vs. Stay at Home Parents. Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding. And the list can go on and on.
Sadly, no one really wins. Least of all, our children. What they learn from this is that it's us vs. them. They take that with them into their schools, into their churches, into their communities, into their workplace, and it is the very LEAST Jesus-like thing that we can teach our kids.
When our homes should be filled with tax collectors and gentiles, they are instead filled with people who look and think just like us.
My youngest babe, my hardest working and the one I have the MOST fun homeschooling, recently made up his mind to go to public school. I did not even realize that I had adopted this negative attitude until faced with his decision to reject what I thought "the best" choice was for him.
I could say no. I could try and convince him that homeschooling is a better choice. But instead, I'm choosing to celebrate that he has developed his own opinions, apart from mine. He isn't afraid to make decisions. He has enjoyed homeschooling, but can also see the benefits of public school (and has been honest about what he sees as the flaws in both!) and he isn't afraid of crossing the barriers between homeschooling and public schooling.
My prayer for this sweet little man that I have spent the last 2,920 days cultivating is that he goes into the rest of his life with this attitude. That he can be a Gap-Bridger instead of a Wall-Builder wherever God calls him to go. And my prayer for me, for this stubborn, convicted heart of mine is that I can be someone who can admit that not every conviction of mine is 100% correct, 100% of the time, and even when it is, that I can be the type of woman who opens doors to those who think differently.
Galatians 5: 14- The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit.
Amazingly faithful — I love it, and love you all!!!
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