Life Reflections

I've come to the conclusion that being a teacher is the next best thing to being a parent. I say next best because I believe that being a parent is a high and holy calling, perhaps the highest there is. And so much work. :-) But both parents and teachers have the awesome responsibility to influence a child for life and eternity. As a music teacher, I have the power to make kids love music or hate music, to achieve performance excellence or not. I love it when school parents come up to me and say how much their kids love music class and Miss A----! Score! I can be a good role model or a negative role model. And I love the fact that so many of the things I'm learning as a teacher at a classical Christian school will stand me in excellent stead if I'm a parent someday. Oh, in case you're wondering, I plan to return to the school next year. :-) Yeah, I whined a lot last fall, but God's given me the grace to give myself the kick in the rear I needed to do better in my job. Things are going a little smoother.

Last night and this morning, the school hosted a Classical Christian conference. The speaker was from a pioneer CC school in Idaho and he was excellent. He presented principles of education, parenting, and discipline that were thoroughly rooted in experience, proof, and most of all, Scripture. It was just basic, straightforward stuff that you don't hear everywhere any more, but is so foundational for a Godly family and school.

One thing that has been percolating in my mind, and which the conference confirmed, is the vital importance of being intentional. Parents and teachers need to be intentional in training and disciplining and educating children to be faithful followers of God. Left to themselves, children don't turn out right, much as parents might hope they will. This is why God gave the clear injunction to "Train up a child in the way he should go..." Left to itself, a vine will go wild. My car will not stay between the lane lines if I don't purposefully stear it. People are the same way.

So intentionalism is applicable in training children, but I also feel the need for being intentional about personal growth. Again, left to wander, I won't naturally go the right way, nor improve in any way. I need to be intentional about my spiritual growth, which is commanded in 2 Peter: "Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, etc." That's a very purposeful act, and that's why I've got to be faithful in Bible reading, study, prayer, and fellowship with the saints. I want to be purposeful in mental growth and improvement of skills. Education does not or should not stop at high school or college graduation. There's always something more to learn! We need to be thinking and thoughtful Christians. And then there's physical growth. No, I do not need to grow any more in stature! It's always a challenge for me to keep up with exercise and good eating habits. It's very easy to get lazy in this area, but I think God calls us to faithfulness in this area just as much as in spiritual areas.

A bunch of words came to mind, indicating God's desire for us to be intentional: Love, add, study, serve, do, guard, keep, follow, seek, etc. NOT that we should depend on self-effort! We need the Holy Spirit to help us be what we ought, but we need to have a vision.

This wasn't meant as a sermon! I just wanted to write out and cement in my own mind what I've been learning. But I hope it's helpful to you as well. :-) Have a great weekend, everyone!