For the last two weeks I have been sick and missed six days of work. Most of the time I was home, I kept the girls with me. Faith was sick too, and besides, I just didn't have the energy to get them to the babysitter. ;)
While I was sick, I was also enjoying the chance to be a housewife of sorts. Each afternoon when I got a brief burst of energy I would do some laundry or load the dishwasher. I even vacuumed the carpet and swept the kitchen once. Things started to take shape around the house.
The rest of the time was spent napping on the couch or under a quilt watching TV. We watched A LOT of the Tigger movie! Still, the girls and I settled into a routine. PBS in the morning, play time/reading time followed by lunch, then a nice long nap. Movies in the afternoon while Mommy tried to do something about starting dinner. We managed to slip in some learning time. We designated a "letter of the day" each day and played with some flashcards. Of course Daddy was out of town half this time (business trips always come at the most inopportune time). And we headed off to bed early each night to get plenty of rest.
You know what I realized too late? While we did our normal devotions and prayer time, we did not carve out any special time for Bible study. I managed to squeeze a little "preschool" into the time we had together but forgot all about God. I feel like a failed a test. As you know, I've always wanted to homeschool my children. Homeschooling appeals to me, in part, because I could ensure a strong religious foundation for my children's education. But, when given the chance, religious instruction was an afterthought.
This week has made me realize that I need to adjust my priorities. Not just for my children's education, but for my own spiritual growth. God deserves - no requires - more than the leftovers at the end of the day. His Word should be at the top of each day.
3 comments:
Sorry to hear you haven't been well. Don't be too hard on yourself.Sometimes things unintentially fly out the window when we're sick.Stand in His Grace and rest in His peace at these times.
Claire
PS: I'll add your blog to my side-bar too!
I am so sorry you have been so sick. It's miserable to be sick and try to take care of everything on your own. I wouldn't look at this "time" as being a failure. It was true to life, in that, it wasn't perfect. Things at home never go the way you think they're going to. However, it sounds like you made the best of a bad situation. You are very creative, and sounds like it was fun for the girls and it was special time for you. When anyone starts a new job, they don't go in and do it perfectly on the first day. There's lots to learn and figure out. Sounds like you figured something out about how to do it better the next time you get some time at home. Don't be so hard on yourself, you are a phenomenal Mom. Love Ya!! OKC Cuz
I wholeheartedly agree that you are being too hard on yourself. You didn't plan to be home sick- you did the best with the opportunity as it presented itself under less than perfect conditions. The fact that you realized after the fact that you wish you'd done it differently is a sign that you are still spiritually in tune- you just weren't at your best while you were sick.
When I used to teach 5 sections of the same science class, I learned a lot about teaching. The first time, you are energetic and enthusiastic about it. So those students get something that the others later don't get quite as much of. It begins to wear off with each repetition. But those kids at the end of the day have the benefit of how I've improved my teaching of that material as I fielded questions or realized what the students were missing and changed my presentation.
Where I'm going with that is that teaching of any kind comes with a learning curve of its own. You had this brief glimpse of what it might be like and can already see how you'd improve. Good for you. That's what it's about.
I understand your feelings about missing the opportunity, but fortunately, you get more chances to instill your beliefs for the rest of their lives. You didn't really miss it in the big scheme. Let yourself off the hook.
Glad you are feeling better.
Much love to everyone.
Laura
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