Today is a weekday, so that must mean I am suppose to blog here. Yes, I know it’s nearly two weeks after I made this proclamation. I haven’t totally been “gone”, there are some pretty “general” posts over at my homeschoolblogger blog. See, I do post different things in the various places. One of the additions over there is a list of links. It’s generally general Christianity websites. I’ll work on some home ed ones for here – and get the others up at the Clear Vision blog [new Amazing Grace blog] too. Ok, enough formalities, what do I have to say today.
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 Let’s go back to a blog I was working on when life so rudely interrupted me. Recently I was called an unschooler, and also asked (by someone else, in a totally different context) how much, if any, lesson planning I do.
Though I’ve clearly stated it here before, just for the record, I’m not an unschooler. Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™ was based upon principles very far from it. But neither am I a lock-step “schooler”. I am a disciple-er. And, yes, I do tons of lesson planning.
But my lesson plans are held loosely. I may devise my ways, but the Lord directs my paths. I teach my children as we “sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” But when I try to hold too tightly to what I have planned, and have so neatly scoped out, God always steps in to show me other priorities He has for the time.
I can lay out the perfect lessons for 6 weeks of instruction in Astronomy, before moving on to Medieval History, and say we will “finish” by such and such a date. But do I know all the lessons God will present, that will take precedence at times? The deep look he wants us to take into being doers, not only hearers, of the Word; the special extended times of worshipping Him; learning to delight in Him, not serve Him in drudgery; And the times of helping daddy hang drywall, and run to Menards. And yes, the times for special visits from the grandgirls, and our brand new grandson.
The “plans” will be completed, but perhaps not within my “planned” time frame. We just take things one step at a time. Sometimes we will follow closely to the way I thought it would look. Other times, even within the teaching of a specific lesson, God will take it a direction I hadn’t planned. And His way always turns out better than I had thought.
I love to plan and organize – though never seem to have enough time to do all I’d like – so I lay out a sequence, and general design, sometimes quite explicit, others quite loose. But as I allow the Lord to guide my planning, I try to always hold it loosely, knowing that it will be accomplished in His way, in His time.
