Finishing Well...

"...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." 

Hebrews 12:1

At this time of year, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the last minute details and loose ends in your homeschooling. I know that I am ready to be done with school and enjoy some more unstructured time, and my kids have been ready for quite a while too. These are the days when we seem to "forget" basic math facts and sight words as we gaze longingly out the window at the sunny skies and the promise of play later. 

Just this week both of my darling scholars declared (actually whined may be a better word) why can't we just get this over with. Trust me, after having to redirect everyone's attention back to the task at hand for the thousandth time, I was beginning to wonder the same thing. I sensed that there was a greater lesson here for all of us. God brought Hebrews 12:1 to mind and I stopped everything and prayed that God would give us the desire to finish well. 

It would be so easy these days just to say, come on guys let's just get this done so we can have some fun. I don't think that is the lesson I want them to learn, however. Sometimes the greatest reward comes in persevering through a task that is challenging (and if you can even throw some joy in there too, WOW). I don't want to inadvertently teach my children that unpleasant tasks should be rushed and treated with less than their best effort. It's about teaching their hearts (and mine) to want to finish with the enthusiasm and determination with which they started. That is the attitude that honors God. I've decided to be cheerful as we finish this year's schooling with endurance and grace. I wish the same for all of you. Enjoy your journey today!