“‘What day is it?’ asked Pooh. ‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet. ‘My favorite day’ said Pooh.” This quote by A.A. Milne was one of my favorites when my children were small. Oh how I cherished each and every day! I still do.
Early on in our journey of homeschooling, there was something that struck me so powerfully. God wanted to be the Headmaster of our school. Headmaster is a British term used to define (especially in private schools) the man in charge of a school; the principal. It was during those early years that I appointed Him Headmaster, and trusted Him to provide all we needed. He showed up in the most incredible ways. Through the resources He provided, the people He placed on my path, and the wisdom He gave me – I was being equipped to fulfill my calling as my children’s teacher. The lessons the Lord taught us during those early homeschool days made an indelible mark on my heart. The greatest lessons have been those that were discovered, created, inspired and lived. We would get caught up in a topic and study it until we were done – yet never really put it away. It was like stopping to dig a well on our journey and fully quenching our thirst.
Liquids and Solids
It was an early March morning, one I remember so vividly. We spent the morning gathered around the breakfast table reading the Bible, memorizing scripture and skimming the surface of liquids and solids. Once the wiggles set in, I knew it was time to head outdoors. I gathered up my then two and three year old, and we set off on an adventure. We had two ponds behind our house. As we approached the first one, we noticed its edges were just beginning to reveal the effects of the Rocky Mountain spring thaw. The frozen center held tight to the anticipation of the inevitable spring just around the corner. We explored craw daddies along the shoreline, tossed rocks onto the frozen center to determine the weight it would take to break, and watched the Canadian Geese land and skate across the ice like skilled figure skaters. The example of the solid pond slowly returning to its liquid state was a beautiful demonstration of our ability to learn science through nature study. I was content with the day’s lesson and decided we would continue to keep monitoring the pond until it fully thawed.
From there we continued our journey up and over the hill to the second pond. As we climbed the hill and the pond came into view, what we saw totally stunned us. The pond was completely thawed! The lesson was obvious, our Creator was now clearly going to give us an example of a liquid! The Geese reveled in the magic of spring as they floated on top of the water. We wondered if their feathered friends over on the ice knew that spring was literally just around the corner. Not all lessons are quite so indelible, extravagant or obvious. Sometimes our Headmaster really outdoes Himself! No teacher on the planet can teach solids and liquids like their Creator. All I did was show up! I couldn’t understand why these two ponds would be so different when they were less than 100 yards apart… What I did understand that day was that we have a Headmaster who loves us and cares about our education.
Owls
There were other lessons of equal grandeur that year. One such example began midsummer with a three year old little girl’s fascination with owls and a trip to the library. We read book after book on owls. I was learning the meaning of a Unit Study and my daughter was my teacher. Our house at the time had a forest of pine trees. We knew there must be owls in the trees – we just needed find them. Our books taught us how to watch for evidence of owls. As instructed, we listened for hooting after dark, searched the ground below the trees for whitewash (an owls chalky white excrement below their roosting place) and owl pellets (the regurgitation of the hair and bones of their prey). One day when the kids were outside swinging we found our first owl pellet!! Days later we dissected it to examine the inner contents. Inside we found the tiny bones of last night’s dinner – most likely a mouse based on the long yellow teeth. Nature study is proving to be so fun! We are now even more determined to find our owl.
Months later on a cold Colorado January night, our patience, perseverance and faithfulness were rewarded, as hooting lured us outdoors. The synchronization of the moonlight and leafless trees, made the invisible – visible. A season of barrenness revealed the bounty that was always within – a great horned owl! Majestic, awe inspiring and mysterious – this beautiful creature had us captivated. The condensation that once formed a cloud as we exhaled, ceased as we held our breath in anticipation. Moments later a distant mate answered the call, and a harmonious courtship ensued. We stood their shivering only to be released from our trance as the owl silently took flight and disappeared into the dark.
From that night forward, we became increasingly proficient at spotting our resident owls. We would begin to anticipate their hooting courtship each January. Yet, their babies remained unseen. The evergreens do not reveal their contents in the winter as do their deciduous counterparts. Patience, perseverance and faithfulness were once again rewarded, this time in the final hours. Fast forward five years. All of our belongings have been packed into boxes, as we anticipated a move to the Midwest. We went outside to soak up all we could of springtime in the Rockies. As the children ran with their oldest sister under the pine trees, they discovered a tiny, white, down feather… and then another. Much like the owl pellets that drew our attention to the trees years ago, the white down seemed to be an invitation to look up. Not far from the scattered down, high up in the evergreens, they discovered two fuzzy white owl babies! It felt like the grand finale to a five year study! God is so good and He always finishes what He starts. Was our curiosity quenched with the satisfaction of a completed lesson? Hardly! It had simply ignited an unquenchable fire that will last a lifetime.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”. ~ Plutarch
God our Teacher
Through our lessons, we learned not only about God’s magnificent creation, but we learned about our Creator Himself. His lessons are a mere reflection of who He is. His provision and promises in our life are sometimes instant and apparent – like our liquids and solids lesson, while others require patient endurance – like our owls. No matter how God shows up… He always shows up and teaches us just what we need for the season we are in.
3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom 5:3-5, NASB).
Teaching preschool and kindergarten at home was the journey that made me realize this was not only something I was feeling called to do, but something the Lord was qualifying me to do. I never felt responsible for the successes I celebrated along the way; I always knew it was our Headmaster who faithfully walked by my side and showed up day, after day, after day. He was the partner I wanted to continue on this journey with. I was qualified for my calling because of His strength – a strength made perfect in my weakness.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor 12:9, ESV)
In sharing these stories, my hope is to light an unquenchable fire in your pursuit for God as the Headmaster of your homeschool. Your stories will not look like mine. They will be even better because they will be YOURS! God is such an amazing teacher and Headmaster. I am in complete awe of His goodness and His heart for homeschool!! Though it was only preschool – we had become homeschoolers and were all in! I was and still am 100% invested in this journey.
I feel blessed to say that TODAY is still my FAVORITE day!