Wednesdays with Words: For the Fruit

I chose this quote from the Kindred Conference because in many ways it summed up the overarching theme I heard there.

Both Cindy and Angelina presented this idea, although in very different ways.

The idea of a philosophy fits well with education – and with mothering as well.  Cindy’s talks were about realistic family life and homeschooling. She talked about the pitfalls and beauties of this crazy, busy, overfilled life of the homeschool mom. She talked about rhythms and rests. At one point, she had us read one minute in the Bible. I read 16 verses in one minute. Then she talked about how on a daily basis, simply reading the Bible is better than worrying if we are doing it all right with pens and highlighters and Instagram. That daily steeping is so much more important in the life of a Christian.

Angelina, on the other hand, spoke of fairy tales and mythology and how both, in their own way, lay a groundwork for understanding the Gospel. Maybe not in the particulars, or the stories themselves, but in their structure and the atmosphere they create. These stories sink deeply into our souls, and as they do so, they give us a taste for the True Story: the Gospel that Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins, redeemed us from death, and will take us home to be with him.

Cindy made the statement, “Get philosophy straight, be faithful, trust in the Lord for the fruit.” We don’t have to explain all of these things to our children. We don’t have to show how fairy tales exhibit either a princely redemption of his bride or a father reunited with his children. We don’t have to force our children to submit to the gospel. These things are not our work. Our work is to tell the stories over and over, to present the types and the truth. We don’t have to analyze to death. We have to read the Bible every day and let it wash over us.

Let the stories, and ultimately the Holy Spirit, do the work. Our work is small, we must be faithful in the small things.

I left so encouraged. I’m not building some sort of Utopia. I’m not building Dawn’s kingdom. I’m a person, made in God’s image, doing the tasks he has set before me. I don’t have to do His work – I cannot, it is too heavy for me. His burden is easy and his yoke is light. He is the vine, I am a branch – just a connector for nourishment to pass to the fruit He is making. I can trust Him.

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