Season of Thanksgiving
Contentment
In the Midst of Stolen Pineapples, Manna, and Life as a Homeschooling Mom By Konnie Hall
“T
he Pineapple Story” brings a chuckle every time we watch it as the missionary works so hard to raise his pineapples only to have the natives swipe them over and over. Even after the missionary has repeatedly asked them not to take his pineapples, they continue to do so until finally, in frustration, he says to them, “I would be such a good missionary if it weren’t for you people!” On my unhappiest days, when the children were young, I had a similar mindset. I would think to myself variations of the same complaint that could be summed up as, “I would be such a good homeschooling mom if it weren’t for you kids.” We only like to make it about us when it works to our benefit and not to our shame, don’t we? Surely it’s our unengaged husband or lack of money or a child’s behavior or even the difficult task of homeschooling which keeps us from our joy and contentment in Christ certainly not ourselves! I was reminded of this when reading Numbers a few days ago as part of my yearly sojourn through the Bible. In chapter eleven we read of the faithful Jewish mamas serving manna to their families yet again and we can imagine the murmurings as they discuss the boring repetition their suffering taste buds had to endure. Good grief! How mundane can it get? Manna, manna, manna! Manna in the morning and manna in the evening. Perhaps they said, “We would be such good followers of you, LORD, if it weren’t for all this manna!” The word that really caught my attention was in verse 10 when it says, “Moses heard all the families standing in front of their tents weeping, and the LORD became extremely angry.“ Wide-eyed children watched as Mom and Dad chose to handle this situation by openly complaining to God, so the kids followed suit by joining in.
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It sends shivers up and down my spine to think of all that my children have absorbed from my moments of discontent when faced with the repetitive ministry of laundry, housework, grading compositions, and playing referee to pointless arguments. There was a time when I wondered if I would ever get it through my head that the grass is not greener somewhere else. Would I ever cease my striving and know and experience that He is God enough to bring contentment and joy into ANY situation? Would I ever stop looking for Heaven on earth? Would God make me a contented homeschooling mom who comes to the doorway of my “tent” to daily give God praise for clothes to wear (and wash), houses to live in (and clean), and children to teach (and discipline)? Hannah Whitall Smith said, “He does not need to transplant us into a different field…. He transforms the very things that were before our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth. No difficulties in your case can baffle Him…. Put yourself absolutely into His hands, and let Him have His own way with you.” May God continue to use my moments of discontent as a roadmap to open my eyes to the blessings and promises I have in the Ancient of Days who loves me enough to teach me to find my satisfaction in Him and Him alone. For the wide-eyed children’s sake who may consciously or unconsciously follow my example…and for God’s glory.
Konnie, and her husband, Kirk, are currently in their sixteenth year of
homeschooling. They are homeschooling three teenagers, who fill their home with love, laughter, and lots of life lessons. Their oldest daughter is on the mission field in Southeast Asia. The family divides its time between Flat Rock and Saluda, North Carolina, where they own Orchard Lake Campground and operate it during the summer months.
The Messenger | FALL 2012 | 5