August 6, 2012
This year we will be
working through Doorposts’ Plants
Grown Up study. I can’t call it a curriculum because although there are
sections with activities and projects to do, we will mostly be studying God’s
Word to see what He has to say on each of the characteristics. I have been
excited to use this study with my children (of course the girls will use Polished Cornerstones)
since I first heard about it almost two years ago. Not having been trained to
be a Godly woman by my parents I felt ill-prepared to train my own, and felt I
needed a little guidance from a seasoned parent (okay a lot of guidance).
Though the name comes from
Psalms 144:12-15, the whole study is based on 2 Peter 1:5-8. So as I was
preparing my schedule for the new “school” year I was pleased to see the first
unit of study was on Leadership. We have been telling our son that he is an
example for his sisters; that they watch him and imitate what he does and says;
that he should be modeling proper behavior. That never seemed to register with
him.
He of course would need
his own Bible for all the Scripture he would be researching, so my husband and
I planned a day to take the family to the local Christian bookstore to purchase
one. We did our research and ran the choices by our son. After picking the
Bible he wanted, all that was left was to wait for the shopping trip. That day
was today.
One of the mini-studies is on Overseeing Household Duties. Today would
be a busy day; in addition to our normal morning activities, I had a doctor’s
appointment. Everything needed to get done before we could meet Daddy for lunch
and go to the store. So I was going to exercise my managerial skills and
delegate the morning routine to my son. Time to let my son exercise his
Leadership muscles. I let him know that it would be his responsibility to make
sure everything was done by the time I got home. I let Grandma know the
children were expected to complete their tasks after breakfast and that The
Little Man knew what to do. I left the house knowing I would come home to find
everything in order.
Three hours later I come home to find my
son still in his pajamas playing with his sisters. I hurriedly (the appointment
was not supposed to take three hours – now I was running behind schedule) took
a look around and decided things looked good from where I stood. I quickly got
shoes on my daughter’s feet, told my son to go change, and wished my Mom a
happy birthday. As we were walking out the door I asked my son if he got
everything done. He assured me he made sure his sisters cleaned their room and
brushed their teeth and that everything was taken care of. I should have asked
for more detail but I didn’t. I was floating on the satisfaction that I had a
budding leader on my hands.
As I sit here writing this my husband’s
words ‘Trust but verify’ are ringing in my ears. Upon returning home with two
cranky little girls and one rammy boy, I discovered that the only thing he made
sure was done was that his sisters brushed their teeth. The bedrooms were and
mess, the bathroom had not been wiped down and he did not do his Monday chore.
Good thing we have many an activity to do to help develop the household
management skill.
I thought about letting the unfinished
tasks go until Tuesday but decided he would only learn to put off until
tomorrow what he should have done today, so off he went to clean the rooms and
complete his chore.
LE'ADER, n.
1. One that leads or
conducts; a guide; a conductor.
2. A chief; a
commander; a captain.
3. One who goes
first.
4. The chief of a
party or faction; as the leader of the whigs or of the tories; a leader of the
Jacobins.
5. a performer who
leads a band or choir in music.
“And beside this,
giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to
knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and
to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” – 2 Peter
1:5-7
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