Gearing Up

The summer went by much too quickly. It isn't over yet, but the next couple of weeks are busy and I know they will rush by in a flash.

Arielle shares my love of school supplies and we've enjoyed shopping for them. We've picked up a few items. Our favorite pens and pencils, some folders. We don't need much. All around us are moms with lists from various schools, trying to find each item required. I feel so free from all those trappings.

We also renovated our school room! We reorganized and moved furniture and sorted through books. Fred even painted. How nice to have a clean, fresh look for our first day.

Even more importantly, we need to prepare spiritually. Years ago while studying the book of Nehemiah I saw so many parallels to Nehemiah building the wall and us educating our children at home. (I believe the complete study I created is contained in this blog in previous posts.) I was reminded of it again when Nehemiah 4 popped up in my e-mail since I subscribe to daily Bible readings. In this short chapter were several important messages.

The taunters ask, what are these feeble moms doing? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish? Despite what others say, we build the wall, "for the people had a mind to work." Yes, it's hard work. Let's get to it.

Comments and attitudes around us can cause confusion and we forget our purpose. These verses remind us to pray and set a guard day and night. By ourselves we can't make the wall strong and lasting. But we "remember the Lord, who is great and awesome." Sometimes we labor with one hand and hold our weapon in the other, ready to defend the cause God has called us to finish. I am thinking I need to enlist the help of my husband to wield the sword in prayer while I do the teaching. It is a spiritual battle for the hearts of our children. We also need to remember that "the work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another." We need to ask for help when we need it, and listen for the sound of the trumpet and rally to support other moms when they are discouraged.

"So we labored at the work from the break of dawn until the stars came out." Nehemiah finished the wall. Will we?