A Look Ahead

I'm tired. MY. FEET. HURT. I see spots. I hear beeping. I canNOT stop singing songs from Willy Wonka & chocolate is ALWAYS on my mind. These things will go away (although I will miss some of them!). It's what one of my sweet 5th graders said to me late this afternoon which I will probably remember always: "Will I ever see you again after school's out?"

Sigh ... So sweet, I know. My heart felt like it was going to lurch out of me!

Now that I have announced my leaving, it is bittersweet. I have not told any student yet & as they make plans for next year, talk about which teacher they want or ask if I will teach this grade or that grade, it yanks at my heartstrings. Today's question definitely did & sometimes it's just difficult to know I'm leaving things like this behind.

Just for a moment though, can we remember Lot's wife? "But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt."

YOWZERS! The meaning of "looked back" in the Greek & Hebrew means she pondered or considered. She didn't just look back to say good-bye once more. She wasn't waving to her friends. She also wasn't looking back at her beautiful home. We can gather from the text that she wasn't happy about leaving, either. But be not deceived, God will not be mocked. They were told not to look back. They were warned. She was warned. So, make no mistake about the tug at my heartstrings ... I am not pondering my decision. In fact, I'm very happy with it. :o) But it did get me thinking....

Each morning, as you begin your homeschooling lessons, do you begin with a look ahead ...or do you look back? I know so often as a teacher, a lesson would botch because a child got sick mid-lesson ...or it was picture day & my schedule was off ...or I lost my place because children didn't answer how I thought they would so I never got my point across. I would think about what I would've changed for days & then I would re-teach it just to see if the same thing happened. It was bad! I'm sure the list could go on ... I'm sure you could add distractions to my list.

The phone rang and you HAD to take it.

The laundry was piling up so you tended to it.

You forgot to pick up the dry cleaning so you ran up the street for just a minute.

With all the distractions we come in contact with every day, it's tough to remember that yesterday is gone & today is filled with an endless possibility of new mercies. Decide each morning that yesterday's distractions will not prevent you from moving ahead today. Try getting up 30 minutes early & preparing before everyone wakes or if you're a night owl, stay up a few minutes more & make sure you've made the changes needed to press forward. Call me to schedule a planning session or let's meet to discuss rearranging your weekly schedule. You've got the great responsibility & calling of pouring into your children & by discussing some changes you'll make in order to stay focused, you can share with your child how looking back is not productive & the changes we've made are going to help you both be more productive. We will learn from our mistakes ~ yes; We will not dwell on them. Finally, as you pour into your child, remember they are watching your every move.

This includes how you react.

This includes how you speak to them and to others.

This includes how you adapt.

This includes how hard you work.

And this includes whether you look ahead ...or look back.


"Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Shannan