When you are the mother of 5 sons, inevitably, the question is asked, “Do you want any more children. . . . maybe a girl?”
The anwer? I have taught all my sons to read and swim. If I had one more, he/she would be illiterate and drown.
Still, school is starting. My White Board Calendar is expanding its usage this year: the place for my high school students to record their academic assignments. Hopefully, that will create a more organized, focused work ethic.
The dog days of summer lead to full backpacks, lunchboxes filled with mama’s love, pens, pencils, paper, binders, and homework. School has the potential to be so much more than the tools of school.
Why is it the addage, “Oh, honey, just do your best,” sounds like “Aw, I realize you really can’t do better, so you don’t have to try so hard.” Listen the next time someone says that. Are they really promoting someone doing their best work?
I realize different children have different gifts. I realize not every gift turns into an Einstein, Margaret Thatcher, Steve Jobs, Emeril, Mother Teresa, or Billy Graham. However, we are called to be all that Christ has called us to be:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be”(Psalm 139: 14-16)
Each of us arrive in the world with a plan, designed for joy and fulfillment, a job, a tool box with God-designed tools to help us in our journey, and one awesome safety net. However, a couch-potato-mentality can interfere with God’s plan for our lives and our children’s lives.
Taking God out of education takes holistic purpose out of education. When your job is just a job, where’s the nobleness, the drive. When your job is God-inspired, your talent God-given, and your success a result of God Faith, your job becomes more than a job.
An engineer doesn’t just create cars or iPods for entertainment. An engineer creates jobs that give families the means to feed, clothe, support, and grow secure families. If you only see yourself as the engineer, you don’t see God’s plan for you. If you see the effect of a job well done, then you start getting the idea.
Neither me nor my children have to be an Einstein, Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa, or Billy Graham to impact others. Someone who helps just one person is just as noble as the one who helps one thousand. However, we are to fully use the gifts God placed in us to the fullest of our abilities.
Disappointingly, what I have seen in the classroom and, at times, in my own children is a take-for-granted attitude about who they are in Christ and how that affects them in the classroom. They are willing to talk the talk but not walk the talk.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecc 9:10) is the motto I hope to instill in my children.
In my college classroom, Christian students enter, itching for an opportunity to evangelize the radical left faculty. Sadly, their witness leaves them open for derision and tags of hypocrisy. When a Christian student comes to class habitually late, comes un-prepared for in-class work, doesn’t spell-check, or follow directions, that behavior erodes the strength of their witness.
Work ethic is a reflection of Christ in you. Maybe you don’t have the skill to write an A essay, but you do have the skill to come on time, prepared, and the work ethic to learn. I would rather have a student with a strong work ethic in my class than a student with tremendous ability. Work ethic trumps ability any time.
My oldest son struggled with pre-calculus. “I’m just not good at it anymore,” he bemoaned. The excuse sounded great, but that is what it was–an excuse to back down from the challenge.
God gives us gifts. In our strength areas, our gift areas, those gifts carry us for a certain amount of time. For some, math might be easy early on, or reading, or language; however, at some point, the gift no longer carries. In order to take that gift to the next level, work ethic needs to be applied.
Yes, whatever you do, do it with all your might = work ethic for the successful.
Frustration, the spice of motherhood! Some of the boys chose to work hard. Some needed to be prodded. Some needed help learning how to work hard. Frustration is an inward signal, a warning sign that modification needs to be made. Frustration prompts me to look for alternate solutions to challenges. We would just sail right on, not realizing our children needed adjustment or that we need to adjust ourselves.
Seed planting is how I look at it. Hopefully, those seeds will grow and one day blossom to a healthy harvest. Healthy Harvests are so incredibily beautiful.
Work Ethic is the key to success. Work Ethic dedicated to God unlocks blessing, growing good things within our souls.
Blessings on the start of your school year!
thanks for this encouraging reminder!
Enjoy the start of school
Can I just say again, How much I love you, and your sweet blog and words of constant encouragement??? Seriously… you amaze me.
Blessings,
LMM
My favourite verse is Colossians 3:23 – In all that you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men…
We don’t work our hardest to please the teachers that we listened in class, not to prove that we understood, it’s to give glory to God for the skills that he has given us. My boys are learning a bit of chatechism at the moment and although it’s not in the kids catechism we started them on “What is man’s chief end? -To glorify God and enjoy Him forever” Everything we do should be for God’s glory… how many times a day do I need to be reminded of that? Why can’t I get it through my head?
Thanks for another reminder.
You know I am the worlds worst to get comfy and kinda quit trying! Thanks for this post I think I needed to hear (or well read) it! Thanks for stopping by my blog, hope to hear more from you soon!
I totally agree… we all have a purpose & a reason for our life… but yes, we still represent CHRIST & Christians in general… we need to hold tight to that always…
& its so hard for young ones & high school & college kids to REALLY hang onto that… the different challenges we all face during each stage of life.
Best of luck with the start of school!
Thanks for stopping by!
Absolutely love the picture of the hydrangas! They have always been my favorite flower 🙂
Hi Maryleigh,
Thank you for putting your heart into the way you write your posts. This was another good one. I totally agree with everything you said. Work ethic is sadly missing from many young Christians (and even “old” ones!) today, so that all their good intentions at winning souls for Christ become pathetic, feeble attemps and puts the name of Jesus to shame.
How would it be if we Christians lived the way the early disciples did as described in the book of Acts?
The Noah Webster definition of Education is so all encompassing, it should be on the desk of every teacher, (and every mother!) in this world.
By the way there is something that I don’t agree with, that if you had another child he or she would be illiterate and would drown. You’re just saying that, but in my heart I know that if you had been given one more child, that child would be just as well taken care of as the rest!
Have a great and promising school year ahead of you!
Love
Lidj
Hi Lidj,
I was speaking in jest! I know that if I had one or 10 more children, they would swim, read, and raised with the same ferver with the others! Teaching to read or write makes my head spin, but reading and teaching about ideas, well I could do that all day long with gusto! Thanks for such encouragement. It blesses me:)
Hi! I did not know what your name was. but, Lidj called you Marleigh. So I am assuming that is your name. I like to call people by their name when I comment. It makes it seem more personal and friendly. And I feel like that is what this blogging thing is all about, making blogging friends across the world.
I absolutely loved this post. I feel like it is such confirmation to me about how I attempt to raise my children. I love what you said, “God gives us gifts….In order to take that gift to the next level, work ethic needs to be applied.” I have spoken this same truth many times, but it was nice to be reminded at the beginning of this new school year.
God bless you in this new school year and thank you for writing this!
Christy
My goodness, you are moving? You are not alone. I’ve noticed a few bloggers moving. That has to be difficult and right when school is starting. I can’t imagine moving after living here for 15 years. All the stuff I have collected that I don’t need…UGH!
This post was really good advice. I need to encourage my kids to do their very best. Just because I’m not so good with math doesn’t mean they can’t be.
And in all kinds of things. Thanks.
I’m glad you are accepting the True Heart Award. Enjoy passing it along to your other blogging friends.
You do share so honestly and from the heart and you give good advice.
Take care & I’ll pray for you as you move.
Nannette
This was such a great post! Great advice for a lot of things! My son is still young, but I know there will be challenging times ahead once he starts school (I hate to even think about him going to school… sniff!). I hope we can deal with problems as gracefully as you. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. In my opinion, muffin tin meals would be fun for any age. I bet you could even put a big muffin tin out with different little snacks at a Superbowl party or something, and everyone would think it is so fun! Just put some of your teens’ favorites in each muffin cup. Maybe chips and dips, mini sausages, cheese cubes, fruit and veggies, etc. Check out Michelle’s blog at Her Cup Overfloweth. She has some really cute ideas for muffin tin meals. I’m still kind of a newbie. 😉
What a great post! Loved it and it encouraged me.
I don’t know that I’ve ever been as convicted as when the guy I liked confronted me about my poor attendance in a class we had together. I thought I was fine because I was still under the absence-limit, but he reminded me that I was an ambassador of Christ to an unbelieving professor. Ouch.
Wow, what a great post. Thank you. I have been truly blessed by getting to read this today.
Cheers to a successful school year! Did I already tell you that you are so encouraging???
What a great post! I love that you write from your heart and it shows in your post! Those are the blogs that stick around…because they are real!!!