Guest Blogger: Suzette Ladouceur @ The Joy of Homemaking

Faith is Born

As a homeschooling mom, I have come to realize that the reason I homeschool is not only to give my children a high quality education, but to make sure the education the receive supplements what I am teaching them about faith in the God who created them and loves them even more than I do. 

Many times, what I teach them about God and His Word is not meant for me to see a result right away. It is just to give my children the foundation they need to hold their faith steady when tough times come.

As a young girl, my mother had us memorize Scripture on a weekly basis. 

It wasn't for some quiz that we were going to take later.

It wasn't so we could win every Sword Drill in Sunday school.

She taught us God's Word because she wanted us to have it close at hand when we needed it.

Will we always see the fruits of our labors? No. Our children may have a moment with God and we may never know about it.

But sometimes, God will give us a glimpse into how he is using the time we put into our children to give us the encouragement we need to keep pressing on.

We had a recent incident which showed me that the lessons that I teach my children about the Lord are taking hold, holding fast, and are building their faith.

I live in Florida, previously known as the Lightning Capital of the World (apparently Rwanda recently took the title away from us). When we haven't had rain for a few days, the heat dries up the brush and tall grasses and makes for a very dangerous situation when the summer thunderstorms roll in. 

On Memorial Day weekend this year, we had lightning strike the wooded lot across the street from us which caused a brush fire. (For reference, there is a dirt road and a retention pond between us and the lot so we were not in any danger this time, but it could have been a lot worse.) 

We called 911, my husband went across the street with a shovel, and the fire department arrived within five minutes of us making the call. Thankfully the fire never climbed the trees and the wind never carried the flames. Once the fire fighters arrived and began putting out the flames, God opened up the heavens, and it down-poured.

This was the first incident that my daughter (6 years old) has been old enough to be aware of. She did not understand that we were not in any danger.

She was terrified. 

She saw billowing smoke coming from the woods across the street. 

She knows that fire is dangerous. 

She knows that 911 is only called in the case of an emergency. 

She knew that Daddy was walking towards the fire to see if he could help control it before the fire department arrived.

She packed up her most precious belongings- her American Girl doll and all of its clothes, her favorite stuffed dog Taffy, and her new pair of swimming goggles- and was ready to evacuate. She came running outside with a look of pure terror on her facecarrying all of her stuff ready to leave, and she was reminding me not to forget my two year old who was napping. I had to hold her and tell her over and over again as she cried that everything was fine.

After it was all said and done, Addie came to me and said, "While the fire was still in the woods, before the firemen came, I went into my room, and I asked God to protect us. And he did!"

That is how faith is born.

Faith is not born in the number of verses memorized. Faith is born when we pull out God's Word and use it as the Sword of the Spirit that God has designed it to be to help us fight off temptation or to encourage us during the hard times.

Faith is not born in the amount of attendance pins you have on your lapel. Faith is born when you hear God speak to you in the quiet of your own home, and not just at church.

Faith is not born in the social gatherings and happenings at church. Faith is born when God uses someone at church to speak to you right where you need it, and they have no idea what a comfort they are being to you. 

Faith is not born in the number of prayers we have memorized. Faith is born when we cry out to God and see Him answer.

Faith is born when our children are able to take what we have taught them about God, apply it to their very own situation, and see God come through on their behalf.

For my daughter, faith was born when she called out to God and saw that He had protected her.

That is when faith is born.

Suzette is a childhood friend of mine!  We grew up at the same church for a few years before she moved down to Florida.  We recently reconnected and discovered many similarities in our family life.  She is a teacher by trade.  She is married with 2 children.  And she home schools both of her children.  Check out her blog at The Joy of Homemaking www.godlyrose.blogspot.com