Monday, July 27, 2009

Rise Up and Build

In chapter 2 Nehemiah requests of King Artaxerxes to go to Judah to rebuild the wall. The king asks, "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?"

I am asked all the time, "How long will you homeschool?" Some people are concerned for my kids and their "odd" lifestyle. People wonder when I will return to the "normal" life of a woman my age. With Fred's new career floundering, people wonder why I'm not out working to help support the family.

Nehemiah needs letters from the king to pass through the province to get to Judah. He also needs timber to build. The king gives him all he needs, including officers of the army and horsemen. Nehemiah says this is because "the good hand of my God was upon me." God will give us all we need for his own work. Homeschooling can be done on a very limited budget, but we've been blessed by my generous brother and his family passing down many, many books for us to use. What we need now is provision to pay the bills. But that too, God has provided. If I go back to work, I can't build the wall. But because this is God's work, he has been faithful to us.

When Nehemiah arrives in Judah to begin work, the enemies come out. So Nehemiah wisely "told no one what God put into his heart to do." In the middle of the night he inspects the walls and gates. He says to God's people, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." He tells how the king has provided and affirms, "the hand of my God has been upon me for good." And the people were inspired and said, "Let us rise up and build."

"So they strengthened their hands for the good work." It's almost August. Let's get excited about a new school year! Let's prepare our minds with ideas. Let's prepare our attitudes to expect the best of our children and not fall into our mistakes of the past: grumbling, anger, threat, tears, boredom, drudgery, and procrastination. We have a new beginning. Foremost, let's prepare with prayer! Be assured, God will surely bless his work.

So we're eager to begin and we've rallied the troops. What happens now? The enemy rears his head. "They jeered at us and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" Are we rebelling against the educational system of the great United States of America? Yes! Yes, we are!

The summer before Arielle began kindergarten we were at our yearly pool party with the families who traveled to China with us. The women began talking about the upcoming school year. I told them we planned to homeschool. Two of the women, both former teachers, were thoroughly disgusted. There is no better word for their response. They ridiculed my "foolish" choice. Their scorn was so obvious my relationship with them ended.

I have friends who are good teachers and I greatly respect their work. I could never teach a classroom full of children. I do not possess the skills or their patience. These friends have made a different educational choice for their children, but they still respect ours. I even look to them for advice.

Nehemiah responds to his enemies, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem." Despite the jeers and the sneers, we will build until the wall is finished. Unless of course, God reveals a different plan for our family.

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