This month's submission is from a legitimate Titus 2 woman that we get to glean from in our own church family! She is a wife to her loving husband (one of our church elders) of 33 years, and mother to 8, ages 30-16. She is continually coming alongside the women in our church, teaching us all what loving our families and loving Jesus looks like - all with great joy and intention. Here is what she wrote to the moms here, online:
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Looking back over the years, there are many things I would do differently. I would have played more, cleaned less, gone on more picnics, been more spontaneous and not made such a big deal over the small things. I would not have panicked if my 8 year old still wasn’t reading and if my 10 year old still couldn't get the difference between perimeter and area. They will get it, and
they did. I would not have used other people as my measure of success, rather I would continue to look to God’s Word for validation. I probably would have chosen different hills to die on. But after homeschooling 8 children for 27 years, the best counsel I can give to you is to live a life of no regrets.
You will never regret teaching your children to love Jesus.
You will never regret reading your Bible and loving Christ.
You will never regret spending time praying for your children.
You will never regret putting your relationship with your child over academics.
You will never regret prioritizing people over projects.
You will never regret dropping “school” for a day...or a week to serve others.
You will never regret making character a big issue.
You will never regret godly discipline.
School is so much more than academics. It is life training-discipleship. Your responsibility is not to teach your children everything they need to know, rather it is to teach them to be learners, disciples of Christ.
The most important thing you can teach them and model to them is to love
the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength and with all their might. As they live this out by becoming a learner of God’s word, your sons will become courageous men who lead their families in love. Your daughters will learn to manage her home and to love and serve their families.
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Someday it will not matter if they understood chemistry, could do the quadratic equation, or identify a dangling participle. It will matter that they knew Jesus. You can’t save your children. That is God’s responsibility.
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But you must train them, above all, to honor and love Christ. That is your responsibility. Pray that they will have hearts to seek after Christ, respond to the gospel and walk in a manner worthy of the Lord pleasing Him in all respects. That is their responsibility.