OK, so many of you know that I have in the past said words to the effect of, "I would never send my child to public school such-n-such, and blah blah blah..." Well today, dear peoples, I need to eat some crow and confess. I registered my two oldest children for Black Lake Elementry this morning (and by morning I mean whole entire freaking morning from like 8-12). It is a public school in the county where we live.
Now, let me explain. When Nate and I were first thinking of moving here to Washington we had the idea that perhaps we would both find jobs. This was before I had the position at Abbey Realty (this was before Nate got so sick too). We kinda dreamed that just maybe we could possibly pay all our bills and even be able to save money, or heck go crazy and buy toilet paper now and then! It was with this thought that the beginnings of "Julia-going-to-public-school" idea came into my head; which of course I dismissed post haste because my Julia would never go to a public school. Still, when I got my job with Abbey, the thought kinda resurfaced. This was when I began to pray about it.
"Do you really want me to put her in Public school, Lord? I mean, really? Y'know, both Nate and I DID NOT have a good experience with this whole thing, and I really really really don't want to put Ju through that. So its settled. Ju will be homeschooled forever."
I'm sure at this point God is laughing a bit at me knowing that I think I know everything but know that really God knows everything but still want to claim my little understanding as supreme.
(If you figure that sentence out let me know)...
After we all arrived here in Washington, Nate and I knew we were soon going to have to make the decision about Julia's schooling. We love homeschooling, when we have all of the tools we need to teach our kids; but we were curriculum deficit and we saw that Julia was suffering for it. Nate was on board with getting Julia into a steady educational flow, she needed academic stability.
I kept praying. Not really yet willing to relinquish my idea or control to the Lord yet. Typically I'm not a stubborn person, but there are times when I can dig in my heels.
When we moved to our new awesome house (a video walk-through and blog post about our new house to come on Saturday!) I heard about the school from my friend Janan, who said that it was not just any public school, but the best in the whole Oly area. It was then I knew that that itching of the Spirit I had, the constant idea of Ju in public school that roamed around my skull, was for this. I knew Julia was going to go to this school. I mean I didn't just give in (digging in heels remember). I put conditions on it. I said, if Julia has to get held back for some reason then NO WAY is she going. Or if there isn't a bus route for her to ride then NO WAY is she going. If the school supplies cost too much, then NO WAY is she going. If it is too expensive to send her lunch and snacks with her to school each day then NO WAY is she going. If I don't have total peace about this from the get-go then NO WAY is she going.
Ummm...
Ya....
They don't hold kids back at this school, they keep them with their age/peer group using emotional and psychological guidlines not preformance or knowledge based assessments. The bus stop is literally one house away from me (and they provide full bus services for half-day kindergarten too). This school has thousands of dollars of school supplies donated to them every year all year long. We qualify for a free lunch program, we will never have to send her with a lunch (oh and they serve breakfast too). And I had total peace, through the ENTIRE process. Sometimes it is a mixed blessing to be so wrong. =D In fact everything was set up perfectly, just like what the Lord has done with every part of our move to Washington, there was really no question or doubt left in my mind about this. In double fact, we are sending Toby to half day kindergarten there too, something I really thought I would never do.
Why does the Lord want my kids there? I would really love to know the answer to that question. Maybe He'll show me, maybe not, but I have to trust Him. He knows His business, and its my job to obey Him. So OK Lord, I am now obeying. Sorry about dragging my feet, sorry about being stubborn, and sorry for doubting your protection of my children.
(Sidebar: I just wrote a whole long paragraph about my distaste for the idea of using kids as active missionaries in public schools. I will just leave it at that. I don't agree with that. I pray that my Father will protect my kids, closer than their skin protection, and send in adult Christians to proclaim the Gospel to our public schools. The end.)
I am actually feeling excited to see what is in store for my Julia and Toby. I hope they have fun.
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