An Important Lesson

Yesterday's post reminded me of a very important lesson that took me a while to learn. When talking about the plans for your life, whether you are talking directly to God or to someone else, never say NEVER. I mentioned yesterday that I had slammed my fist down and said, "I will never have seven kids!" Well,that was the first in a long line of times that God made me eat my words. Not just in small ways, but in big ways.

The next time I can recall was when a good friend of mine told me that she was going to homeschool her five year old daughter. As far as I was concerned, that was weird. I would never even consider homeschooling my children. At the time I was back in school getting my teaching degree and had two small children. I will never forget what my friend said to me, "Why do you want to leave your own children to go off and teach someone else's children?" "Well," I responded, "I will be a much happier mother at home if I am fulfilled in my work!" Well, you know the rest of the story because the title of my blog gives it away.

The first year of homeschooling, we moved to a new area and found what was to become for us a wonderful homeschool group. We went to a few events and got to know a couple of families. One day, a friend called and told me that she had just had her baby. Their first boy after three girls. He was born at home with just her husband to help her as the doctor had not made it to the house in time. She went on to tell me what a beautiful experience it was. Wow, that was TOO much. I would never have any of my children at home. How safe is that??? Well, a few years passed and I got pregnant again, woke up one day and said to my husband, "I think we should have this baby at home." He said okay and we ended up having the next four babies at home. I have to say that most of them were very beautiful experiences!

From the very start of our marriage, my husband had been trying to talk me into moving out into the country. "Wouldn't it be great to live in the wide open spaces?" he used to ask me. "Absolutely not!" I would respond. "Who would want to live out in the middle of nowhere? I would never move to the country!" Fortunately for me, he is a very patient man. Fortunately for him, one day I woke up and said, "I think we need to move to the country where we can be out in the wide open spaces!" It was a horrible road getting here, but we have had almost five wonderful years in the country.

So, what have I learned? I have certainly learned to watch what I say. If I slip and say NEVER, I hurry up and apologize to God and tell Him I didn't really mean it. I have realized that had we not been open to God's grace in my life, what a different life we would have had. I have to believe that it certainly would not have been as wonderful as it has been. It took me many years to learn this lesson in the big things in my life. Now that I have learned it in the big ways, God is teaching me how to live it in the small ways in my life. I hope it doesn't take me as long to learn, because sometimes the lessons are quite painful!

God Bless!