Welcome to Tuesday. It’s been quite a week already at the Kish house. We have standardized testing this week. Now I know for the average reader that doesn’t seem too complicated but apparently for a homeschooling family it can cause quite a bit of confusion. Or maybe (most likely) I am the only one that is confused.
Let me explain. I have an excessive number of children. I’m completely outnumbered. And occasionally (often) I forget things. A few weeks ago, on what I am sure was a cold, rainy day in North Georgia, I sat down to order the testing booklets my children would need. I was proud of myself for being on top of things because typically I am the girl paying an extra $275 for overnight shipping. Not this time, I was ahead of schedule and rocking this mom thing.
Do you know where this is going?
So, yesterday morning at 8:45 I dropped off my well rested, properly nourished children at the local Co-op for testing to begin. About 15 minutes after I left them, the phone rang.
The voice on the phone was the amazing Co-op director. “Jenn, you ordered a third grade booklet for your son, is that correct?”
Y’all. The boy is in the 4th grade. I ordered him a third grade book.
I made lots of great excuses to try to ease the mom guilt.They sounded like this.
“Well, he’s homeschooled, I forget what grade he is in. We just finish a book and buy the next one.”
“My plate is really full, it’s overflowing!”
“I haven’t had a decent amount of sleep in nearly 13 years.”
I had lots of excuses, but the reality is I just made a mistake. I make a lot of mistakes. We all make mistakes.
Yesterday, the USPS delivered my monthly panty subscription box to a local PASTOR’s house. That’s a true story y’all. Now that’s a heck of mistake, that left me turning three shades of red. Don’t worry, his daughter in law will deliver them later today and I am keeping my fingers crossed that he never learns what “Splendies” are.
The reality is mistakes are a common part of each of our lives. The idea is to not let those things define us. If you messed up today, try again tomorrow. That’s what I will do. I gave that boy some fried chicken, begged for mercy, and bragged about how smart he’s going to look when the results come in.
My children know their mother is very capable of messing up. I forget a lot, I am overwhelmed a lot and I ask for forgiveness a lot. They also know that they can often find their mother in her closet praying for them and seeking the Lord for direction.
There are great lessons in both of those things. The mistakes that humbly drive me to the cross of my Savior. And the Savior who is made perfect in my weakness. And that, my friends, is worth more than anything. May I often be found kneeling before the Lord asking Him to provide the grace that is sufficient for the errors in my life. May I boast about my weakness, so that my children may see the power of Christ in me.
God, be the glory in this forgetful Mama’s life, so that others may know You.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9