Saturday, June 6, 2009

The boys argued...

with their Dad this morning. It was wonderful!

Husband read our morning devotion on Micah 6:8, "...to walk humbly with your God." In our family discussion, Husband wasn't quite getting a response from the boys beyond "parroting" so he challenged them by saying that he didn't believe that verse. How was humility a help for a Christian? They just get walked on by more powerful people and end up with nothing.

I SO wish you could have seen the looks on their faces! They were startled first of all and I could hear the wheels churning in their heads, "Does Dad really believe that?" Ohmygoodness.

And then the argument began. The Chairman led by telling his Dad that he would get in big trouble with God if he believed that. I was eating my napkin at this point to keep from bursting. Chess entered in and said that the Bible taught God did want His people to be humble. Pele was still shell shocked by his Dad's declaration and remained mostly mute, taking it all in.

Seeing their personalities in this context was very helpful to us. Our parenting from birth has been about giving them solid, godly instruction from God's Word, having them sit under godly preaching, exposing them to godly influences and requiring of them godly behavior. However, the older two are on the cusp of having to hear, think through, discern and choose for themselves in situations where Mom and Dad may not always be present.

Does no good for me to quake in my flip flops over that. I have to know that the boys having been given a solid foundation of Scripture and teaching and will be able to respond to the many, ungodly influences that exist.

Providentially, we just read in our latest HSLDA magazine an excellent article on the Greenhouse Model by Greg Harris. If you can get a copy of it, I would encourage you to read it, whether you homeschool or not. His points are well made about the responsibilities of a parent to shelter their children for a time and then put them through a "hardening" process where they are required to stand for their beliefs, in interaction with you and trusted others, before releasing them into the world, at which point your counsel becomes more pastoral.

I will be re-reading the article after this morning's discussion. It revealed that the boys do have a foundation of Biblical knowledge--but still need more. It revealed that we are doing the parenting job we should do--but still need to do more. It revealed that God is at work in their lives--and will still continue to work.

To Him be the glory!

3 comments:

  1. Wow! Sounds like a wonderful morning!! :) My dad was famous in our house for playing "devil's advocate" during discussions...He often frustrated me to no end, but he also taught me how to think, how to discern truth from errorr, and how to clearly articulate my answers. And, I am so thankful that he did! I'm sure your boys will be too (if they aren't already!).

    I am not a member of HSLDA (yet), but I would be interested to read the article that you mentioned. I couldn't find it on the HSLDA site, but I may not have been looking in the right place... The topic of homeschooling parents "sheltering" their children is one that has come up in discussion a few times recently, and I am looking for some biblical perspective on how to respond.

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  2. I searched for the article you mentioned by Greg Harris but could not find it. I found your post quite intriguing, however, Elle. As the mother of a 25 year old daughter, there was a time when I thought my job of parenting would be over by now. So often, God reminds me that it is not. Its just changed...and sometimes I flounder in my new role. It was easier when she was ten.

    But God is so good. He patiently teaches me more almost every day about this changed parenting role that He expects me to step into. Maybe I'll blog about it some time.

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  3. I love that! I read that article and I have to admit that at first glance I thought it was about using gardens in your homeschool:) It wasn't I had almost flipped past it that I realized that it was a parenting article... I'm a little slow sometimes. My idiocy aside, I too loved the analogy about the transition from greenhouse to cold frame to field. Looks like your little men are on their way!

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