by Marcie Stokman
I wanted sure-fire ways to keep the house clutter free, toddlers in line and our home school running like a well-oiled machine! I was convinced this was what I needed to help curb the daily irritations and symptoms of burnout I was experiencing. Yet, the more I listened, the more I understood. My mounting frustration with trying to juggle it all, parenting, teaching, laundry, meals etc. was a surface issue of a deeper problem. I was trying to live the Christian life nearly on empty and in my own strength.
Though a Christian for many years, my prayer life was more like a roller coaster than a steady lifeline of real fellowship and communion with the Lord. To put it simply, I was overworked and underprayed. I knew I needed to get back to prayer, but it was such a struggle to take quiet time when I felt so far behind. When I asked a friend how prayer was such a real source of delight in her life she said, “Marcie, you will never get to the place where prayer is a delight if you don’t first commit to the daily discipline.” Discipline before delight, that made sense to me. It took daily discipline with exercise before I came to enjoy it or at least experience the benefits. I began to see how prayer must become central and consistent in order to live more as the book of Zechariah says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).
Prayer increases the life of God in our lives and home schooling increases our need for prayer. A wise man once said, “If you want to grow in an area, increase your necessity.” The call to home school certainly increases our necessity, our need to depend on Jesus and live in His strength. Let’s face it, it’s an overwhelming challenge in a near pagan culture to raise children, to grow in our marriages, to live the Christian life! It is beyond us! There really is never a day when I think, “Boy, I have parenting and home schooling down! Yes, I really have a handle on it!” Rather it seems to be a day by day walk of faith and challenge for me as I teach and try to manage the home. Yet, herein lies the paradox: the more I recognize my weakness and rely on God’s strength, the more confidence and joy there is in the process.
I’d still like a workshop on organization. Most days our home school runs more like a slow moving Greyhound bus that stops in every little town than an efficient streamlined sports car. The house gets cluttered, the kids tease, and there are daily frustrations and interruptions. Yet, with regular prayer, something is different. Instead of burning out, the fire of the love of Christ is rekindling my soul.
Prayer is the key for preventing burnout. Prayer is the key for strength.
Lord, help us live increasingly in your strength. May life in you be our joy!
Marcie Stokman is a homeschooling mother of six who lives in Crosby, Minnesota. She can be reached at marciestokman@hotmail.com.
