Most schools now issue an i.d. card. I love to see teachers who have cute beaded lanyards to hang their card from. It makes me want a cute beaded lanyard, too! At one of our co-ops and our high school, parents get i.d. cards, too. Maybe it’s my chance to get a cute lanyard. 😉 But do you know those i.d. cards are not meant to identify our “whole life?”
When you meet someone, what are the first things you tell about yourself? Stop and describe “you” right here to someone you first meet ————————————————–. What did you say? Being involved in education in any way has the tendency to draw in our whole identity. In some other cultures it’s even more predominant than in the US. We tend to think of ourselves (our identity) by what we DO, instead of who we ARE. Especially this time of year, we might introduce ourselves by saying …
- I’m Julie and I have a daughter in public high school and I home school our son.
- I’m Julie and I home school and serve on the PTA.
- We are the Sanders, and we’re at the Divine Christian School. 😉
Having been in the “meeting” of EVERY form of schooling there is, I can say that in every setting the leaders there are passionate about their schooling culture and usually believe it is the BEST way to train up kids. In fact, some will tell you it’s the ONLY way to train up kids. Funny thing is that for those who use God’s Word as the ultimate “syllabus,” we are given principles, not titles of schools or institutions. We know God cares more about WHO we are in HIM than what we DO.
Rats! I love the “doing.” It’s so much easier than the “being.” I can check off the things I do, but who I am involves so much trust and patience and faithfulness. Letting my identity become all about the things I DO in terms of schooling is a sad imitation of who I really am in Christ. In fact, focusing on that image of schooling as my identity can keep me from thinking about and growing in my real identity.
So instead of first using words like … graduate student, college student, home school family, Christian school family, public school family, pre-k mom, online student … how about using God’s i.d. card?
THIS is who I am:
- I am Christ’s ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20)
- I am a child of God (John 1:12)
- I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
- I am a saint (Eph. 1:1)
- I am a member of Christ’s Body (1 Cor. 12:27)
- I am a citizen of heaven (Phil. 1:6)
- I am salt and light in the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)
- I am part of the true Vine (John 15:1,5)
- I am the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16)
- I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
Put THAT on a cute beaded lanyard and hang it around your neck!!!! 🙂 THAT’s who we are. THAT’s our identity in Christ. If you want to see a beautiful reminder of all you are, click here. (For a text version click here)
Now … what do you DO?
Tomorrow … School doesn’t have to rule our peace.
Here in the UK we stll have a few weeks before the return to school, but as you say, who we are is a forever thing, a child of God, he is our father, our teacher our saviuor
Thank you, Julie! A beautifully written post that reminds us all we are more than a method of educating our children … in fact, I imagine we greatly diminish who we really are when we limit our self-definition to an education style or location.
These are great reminders for me. I'm a graduate student once again and I'm homeschooling my daughter. Good to remember that neither "school" identifies me, nor should it interfere with more important relationships (yesterday's post).
I got to your blog from Spiritual Sunday's. So glad I did. You have a really beautiful site. May the Lord be with you and give you the anointing you need to accomplish this great task. God bless, Dr. Bobbi