Confessions of a Home-Schooling Mom

“But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1b)



We experienced a problem in our homeschooling today (Tuesday) as it seemed I was the only one who showed up for classes! Oh, Shane was with me in body, but not in mind or attitude. He is usually a great little student, but I've seen some bad habits sneaking into our days. Things one could label as "foolishness". Things that caused this mother's heart to weigh heavy. I was so determined that after Christmas and all the hubub, our school year was going to be better during 2008. Today, however, as my cute and lovable child seemed to be so very UNmotivated and intent on making foolish choices, I must admit it folks, I lost my temper. I was angry at him for acting foolish; but when all was said and done, I was the foolish one. Losing my temper and raising my voice wasn't really what he needed. I'm sure that looking at my distorted face, as I let him have it verbally, wasn't all too healthy for him either. I was the adult here and supposedly the mature one, but in actuality, I was the biggest fool of the day. I had to ask my son for forgiveness but first I went to my Heavenly Father and asked for HIS sweet forgiveness; then the day got better! And yeah, I know all the "rules" for moms, etc. I know I slipped and acted ugly. Let me say it right out, I was foolish and I SINNED!!! Thank God for 1 John 1:9!!!! I like to refer to that Scripture as the Christian's bar of soap! *smiles*



I don't recall any reference in God’s Word that sheds a positive light on fools or foolishness. Proverbs verifies the claim that one should strive to put away foolishness. My moments of foolishness today brought to mind the story in Acts. A devotional I read recently spoke about how apparently, the new believers in Christ had been fellowshipping and sharing their belongings (Acts 4:32). Barnabas (one of the believers) decided to sell a portion of his land to help the group and gave the money to the apostles. Two other believers, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, did the same thing; but for whatever reason, they decided to keep a portion of the money for themselves (Acts 5:1-10). Ananias and Sapphira attempted to fool the apostles by declaring that they had given the total amount. God’s response to this deception was quick and severe – within three hours, both Ananias and Sapphira fell over dead for trying to fool the Holy Spirit. They acted foolishly and were struck dead within hours! Boy, am I glad I found MERCY GRACE in the eyes of the Lord today!

What about your homeschooling family? Have you noticed any foolishness creeping into your children’s actions? Here is yet a better question: Have you noticed any foolishness creeping into your own life? Be careful; foolishness left unchecked has the potential to destroy your child’s life. Although the world may celebrate a day when people deceive and pull embarrassing practical jokes, God’s Word says something entirely different about foolishness – “The thought of foolishness is sin.” (Proverbs 24:9a)



As we beseech the Lord for guidance, let's not forget to ask Him to show us how to discipline our precious children when they start to act foolishly. Ask for the wisdom to train their immaturity into responsible ations that will glorify the Lord. I always try to remember and ask the Lord to convict me of any foolishness in my life as well.