…if only I may finish my course with joy…
Acts 20:24 AMP (emphasis mine)
This is part of my life scripture. It is one that is dear to me and only recently I have seen it anew. There are three things in this lovely passage that I want to emphasize.
Finish
I am to finish, whatever that means for me. For some home educators it’s graduation. For others it’s somewhere along the way. No one can tell you where that is but God. You just want to make sure you are on His schedule, His timing. God’s into completing things. He’s not one to leave unfinished projects and neither should we, especially in the home education realm.
(my) Course
I have a specific path. Part of it is a mother, part a wife, part a sister, a daughter, a friend. My course happens to include home education. It’s in my DNA. He hard wired me for this and equipped me for it. He knew my faults and trusted I could do this anyway. With His guidance and tender mercies I can, but not in my own strength.
And I have to stick to my course, not another’s. It’s so easy to compare, to feel inadequate and to judge. We must take care to keep to the path God has planned for us. Our goal is not to finish someone else’s course, but our own.
Joy
This is the hard part (at least for me). We may not finish our course at all, but if we do, it’s too often through gritted teeth with a bad attitude. His yoke is easy; His burden is light. It’s not enough to just get through it. Lots of people can do that. It’s the fruit of joy that sets us apart, making our lives tantalizing to those around us. Even in the rough spots on our course we have fixed our eyes on the prize. No, not graduation or smart children or even strong Christians. Our prize is that heavenly reward, that “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” It’s the fellowship with Him as we move from day to day that renews us and brings us the joy we need to keep going.
There truly can be joy in the journey. We can be content in the now and see God working all through our busy days. We can finish our course with joy, which is all I aim to do.
What is your life scripture?
This was great –especially about letting God chart YOUR course. It might not look like everyone else’s!
Thanks for stopping by, Maggie. It’s not easy to put the blinders on where other moms’ journeys are concerned. But it is really freeing!
.-= Anna-Marie´s last blog ..with joy =-.
I enjoy your blog, thoroughly. I’m very interested in the homeschool curriculum you have shared (and use) and hope to invest in it as a sort of core for my eclectic compilation of curriculum.
Thank you for being a voice of hope, encouragement, and an example of striving in the Lord! ^_^
.-= Tori´s last blog ..Much of What I’ve been learning… in a video synopsis! =-.
I know I already responded… but I just found something I thought you would like and might want to share. So, I wanted to share it with you. It’s a homeschoolers writing contest that awards prizes for the most entries! I love this idea because, as an aspiring author, I’ve read ALL OVER THE PLACE that the more you enter, the more likely you are to be published. And what an awesome way to build excitement in our kiddos than a contest like this! So, here is it: http://homeschoolwriters.com/hwyc_2010.aspx
I hope you like it as much as I do!
.-= Tori´s last blog ..Yikes! and more =-.
Thanks Tori!
Tori thanks for stopping by. If there is anything you need to know, please just ask.
A wonderful verse to keep in our hearts when we start getting weary!