Encouragement

I saw this on our local home school loop this morning and was encouraged to remember why I do what I do and exactly what my goal should be in home schooling my kids. Sometimes I lose sight of the important things in the pursuit of the academic goal. I'm sharing it in hopes that it will be a gentle reminder to others as well.

1 Corinthians 13 for Home Schoolers

Though I teach my children how to multiply,
divide, and diagram a sentence,
but fail to show them love,
I have taught them nothing.

And though I take them on numerous field trips,
to swim practice and...flute lessons;
and though I involve them in every church activity,
but fail to give them love,
I profit nothing.

And though I scrub my house relentlessly,
run countless errands,
and serve three nutritious meals every day,
but fail to be an example of love,
I have done nothing.

Love is patient with misspelled words
and is kind to young interrupters.
Love does not envy high SAT scores
of other home school families.
Love does not claim to have
better teaching methods than anyone else,
It is not rude to the fourth telephone caller
during a science lesson,
does not seek perfectly behaved geniuses,
does not turn into a drill sergeant,
thinks no evil about friends' educational choices.

Love bears all my children's challenges,
believes all my children are God's precious gifts,
hopes all my children establish
permanent relationships with Christ,
and endures all things
to demonstrate God's love.
Love never fails.

Where there are college degrees, they will fail;
where there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we teach in part.
But when the trials of life come to our children,
the history, math, and science will be done away
and faith, hope and love will remain;
but the greatest of these is love.

~Arthur Unknown