Sharing for those who home school, are thinking about home schooling, are just beginning… GOD has a plan for your family. Socialization in the way it is portrayed as necessary these days was invented by man, not God. Socialization begins first in the home, family. Home schooling has allowed our family the freedom to “think outside the box” for teaching methods, but God has also used it as a means to even “think outside the box” of the common home school socialization opportunities.
I find, that we often have to “explain” our socialization away – or prove that we are doing much. I have nothing to prove to my fellow man, I am accountable to God. “if I lived to please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ”. Yes, pursuing sports, clubs, and co-ops are a blessing and can be just what many need- when God calls to those places for the plans He has for His children, He is honored and glorified.
But I want to testify to God working on our own family’s behalf in calling us out of those places and showing us contentment in simplicity. You see God works all things together for His good, and with a child that learns life in every way, much differently than standard “box fit”, God has used him as a valuable vessel to work and show us that contentment and relationship can be very powerful and effective right in the heart of our home.
Yes, we attend swim lessons, yes, we play with friends, but mostly we play & learn together as a family – it’s what both my kids need right now. IT’s where God has us planted, blooming us. Yes, my kids are learning to empathize with the elderly as we serve them weekly, yes they are learning to play honoring the Lord as brothers, and yes they have some solid friendships with young and old, fellow special needs and so on. And yes, we as parents are given the opportunity to catch them when they are doing it wrong and steering them to Jesus, and catch them in action doing it right and encouraging them on in their walk with Him.
But most importantly I found this definition today as I did a quick on line search of socialization: a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.
The worlds big HUFF about socializtion – “aquiring an identity”!!!! Well my boys are well socialized then, because they are learning that without God they can do nothing, and that their identity is in CHRIST alone – He is their strength, He is the one that helps them accomplish anything and everything in this life – including waking up in the morning.
This was mostly on my heart today to encourage anyone out there with home schooling that God has a plan for your family – it is so easy to be caught up on what is right, best, according to what others are doing. I stand to testify and encourage, seek Him with your whole heart for His plan for you. He has a plan and no matter what it looks like being an all star basketball player honoring the LORD, or playing basketball in his front drive – truly it is GOOD. Don’t trust me, trust Him – He said it. When he created our children with the plan laid out for our family He said: “This is GOOD”.
