At the beginning of the school year, people regularly ask me if I am relieved my children are back in school and if I am excited for time to myself. Honestly, I hate it. Their first day back is a sad and hard day for me. This is true enough that my husband often takes the day off to support (and distract) me! I can not wait to pick our kids up and hear what God has done in their day and kiss their faces.
I started wanting to be a mama at the age of five and that has never changed. I love to be with my children. I enjoy creating with them, celebrating life with them, and just being near them. They are very cool people and I am blessed to be their mama. I am not one who wants to celebrate Mother’s Day by being away from them at a spa or savors time without them.
Though it sounds like I am the perfect candidate to be a home school mama, God made it clear to us as a couple that our children should be missionaries in public school. That means that as much as I want my children to be home with me, it is my job to train them to be on their mission field and support them there. Though I am busy doing my work and keeping our home functioning for when they are home, I miss them so much while they are at school. Thankfully, God has continued to confirm our children’s ministry at school by them teaming up on their mission field with Christian teachers and administration. Each of them looks for opportunities to lead classmates to the Lord and invite classmates and teachers to church. They know that they go to school to learn and to be missionaries.
I support their school ministry in a few tangible ways. I pray for each of them and for their classmates, teachers, administration, and staff. I volunteer to be in their classrooms whenever it is possible so I can become familiar with their classmates, teachers and other adults who support their education. This gives me the opportunity to play a supportive ministry role in their primary ministry role at school. Often, I try to build relationships with mamas of their classmate buddies and invite other parents to church and family events when I get the chance.
My family is my first ministry and supporting their personal ministries is part of ministering to them. What a cool opportunity and an honor it is to get to send them back to school with that in mind!
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Matthew 16:15
What steps can you take to prepare your children for being missionaries where God has placed them this school year?