Are you ready for the lessons that come with a new school year? It’s the time of year when so many moms prepare to head back into the school year with all their might. Hoping to capture treasured moments and launch kids well, we try to make special Back-to-School traditions as deposits into the hearts of our children. We do our best to buy folders on sale, notebook paper in bulk, and extra crayons to share. We determine to be a parent teachers will love and commit to being real moms praying for real teachers. We hope there won’t be teacher trouble, but if there is, we determine to ask our mentor, hold our tongue, have a good attitude, and submit to our husband.
School officially started yesterday in hometown. The first day of school touches something deep within me, as I’ve experienced it as a student, a teacher, a public school parent, a private school parent, a home school parent, a substitute, and a professor. No matter what the size of desk or style of chair to fit my part in “school,” I’ve learned more lessons about what’s NOT included on the syllabi and curriculum guides than what IS included. If you’re about to start a new year of “school,” you’re about to be stretched. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Excited? Worried?
Where will you find your peace? Where will YOU learn your greatest lessons this school year?
School may be for kids, but it comes with a lot of lessons for moms.
School brings a backpack full of distractions with the potential to consume us and shut out valuable “subjects” like worship, rest, husband-loving, and fellowship. Our culture (even our Christian culture) rewards moms who let school swallow them whole! What PTA wouldn’t shower the President with flowers and applause because she gave her whole self to the making of “school?” Applause doesn’t always follow wisdom.
Martha of Luke 10 was a great candidate for room mother of the year. Even with Jesus in her house, she was “distracted with much serving” and consumed with her to-do list. Sadly, when work (in our case: SCHOOL) consumes us, it makes us a likely candidate for drying up inside.
Martha’s sister Mary didn’t sign up for every task she was asked to take. Instead, she “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” (Luke 10) When our work threatens to overwhelm us, we need to sit under the tender teaching of our Lord Jesus. ““Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Sitting at His feet, we find Back-to-school peace. It’s a peace that comes from learning how He has it all under control, hearing how He is working for the good of our children, remembering how He promises to give us wisdom, and enjoying how He loves us for who we are … even if that isn’t the PTA President.
Teacher, mama, professor, bus driver, coach, principal, PTA President, or ________?
Whoever we are, we find answers and rewards at the feet of our tender Teacher Jesus.
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