A Few Hard Weeks...

I have had a lot of those this year. The kids have been intolerable and I have been ready to give up on schooling forever. Many times I've wanted to pack my bags and hit the road for an extended vacation. It just didn't seem worth it. That sounds horrible doesn't it? But a person can only take so much stress.

And then...

I did my Beth Moore Bible study on Esther. She was teaching on how the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Like in Esther when Haman says to kill, destroy, and annihilate the Jews. That is the enemy's plan for us. One of those verbs would have been enough for the people to understand, but the use of three verbs puts emphasis on how evil and utterly wickedly Haman was and how badly he wanted them destroyed & wiped from the face of the planet. If a man could plan those things, we are foolish to think the Devil isn't more crafty.

I realized that I have been listening to the voice of the enemy. I have been believing that school is too hard, that my kids are impossible, and that I can't possibly do it. God showed me that if He could deliver me from so many other evils He can surely keep me from feeling overwhelmed. I felt like I was hit with a two-by-four, and then I felt like a tremendous weight was lifted from me. Suddenly my children weren't the worst kids in the world, it was just Satan at his old trickery again of lying to me and trying to annihilate me and my children. Hmppff. Someone forgot who was in charge, and it was me.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jer 29:11

If you ever get a chance to do the Beth Moore "Esther" study, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is worth whatever sacrifices you have to make to go there. It is by far the best study I have ever done, and every week gets better. It is amazing!