Good Medicine

Today I want to tell you about a special cabinet in my kitchen.  It is full of all sorts of goodies. However, anytime I approach this particular cabinet, my children groan. Sometimes they even run away to another room. Can you guess what is in my cabinet? Yep – it’s medicine. We have all kinds of medicines: pain relievers, cough syrup, tummy ache pills, allergy elixir, asthma inhalers, and so on. There are also bandages, ointments, and various other first aid necessities. And, let’s not forget the vitamins! These are all good things, right? So why do my children run and hide when it’s time to take medicine?

When they were much younger, I would try to get them to, “Take it like a big boy!” Eventually, the “big boy” bribe became ineffective, and I resorted to, “You can either take it like a big boy, or mommy can sit on you and pour it down your throat.”

Oh, I kid.

Sort of.

But seriously, wouldn’t it be easier just to say, “Forget it!” and not dole out the unwanted, yucky-tasting, sticky, make-me-wanna-gag medicines? Why do we put our little dears through such turmoil? And as a mom, don’t you get so tired of all the complaining and whining when all we’re trying to do is help them to either stay well or feel better? Why do we bother?

Well, because we know what’s best for them and will see to it that they get what they need, whether they want it or not. Or, to put it simply, because we love them.

Someday they will understand. And maybe, just maybe, someday they will thank us for caring enough, for loving them enough, to make them do what they didn’t want to do because it was what was best for them.

Let’s apply this to another aspect of our lives: homeschooling. Do your children try to run and hide when you pull out the school books? Mine do on occasion, especially when it’s time for their least favorite subjects. Currently, my youngest child’s favorite phrase is, “Do I have to?” And, of course, there’s the other old favorite question of “But, why?”.

We know why. However, trying to explain “why” they need to know about silent e’s, punctuation marks, square roots, and the scientific method isn’t always easy. So, we resort to, “Because I said so,” or “Do your work like a big boy.” Or, I’ve even been known to utter the dreaded words of, “You can either do it for me at home, or I can take you to the public school down the road and you can do it for the teachers there.” (And since my kids know that I would never actually do that, it’s not even a real threat. They actually think it’s kind of funny, which only makes things worse!)

Which leads me to – do you ever find yourself wondering “Why?”, as well? Do thoughts ever creep into your head such as:

Of course we know why. Homeschooling is not something that we do on a whim or a passing fancy. It’s an investment that we’ve chosen to make, for our futures, for our children’s futures, for eternity. We can’t let ourselves lose sight of the goal! And when we find ourselves asking, “Why?” or, “Do I have to?” — those are the times when we must turn back to the Source of ALL inspiration, the Giver of ALL good things.

Matthew 7:7 – 11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

It’s so simple, really. All we have to do is ASK.