Gift From The Grave

The number one reason my husband and I decided to educate our son at home was because our Lord led us to that decision. We believe homeschooling was what God asked us to do. What, then, does homeschooling have to do with graves? A conversation about home educating was the beautiful paper and bow that my gift came wrapped in!

My hairdresser was a former home educator. Her children returned to the public school system and, as I was getting my hair done one day, she asked me if I’d like her leftover curriculum books. Free is good! Books are great, but free books are the best! I jumped at the opportunity and told her I’d love to have them. They would give me new ideas, teaching tips, and if my son didn’t like the format, we could always bless another family with them.

Not long after that conversation, my hairdresser called me. She bought a rental house and it was filled with books she couldn’t use. Her husband advised her to just take them to the dump, but by God’s grace she didn’t have the heart to. I told her I’d take them and get rid of whatever I didn’t want. My beautician thanked me for taking one chore off of her “to-do” list. Little did I know the treasure that awaited me.

When I arrived to pick up the books, there weren’t just a few. There were several boxes filled to the brim with tomes! I was ecstatic! My children wondered if they’d fit in the car with all the boxes. However, my excitement at the volumes of unexplored pages wasn’t even the best part. When I picked up one of the books and looked inside the front cover, my breath was taken away. One of my spiritual mothers, who had gone home to heaven a few years before, was the original owner of this library! Betty went to church with me. She prayed with me. She mentored me and now, our heavenly Rabbi provided me with the resources he once used to teach her! These books weren’t precious to me just because I love books. They were a piece of Betty, still caring for me!

As I took inventory of my new library, I was rendered speechless! There were sermons on compact disc (CD). There were praise and worship albums, Bibles, word studies, lexicons, reference guides and devotionals. Much of my new library was instructional Christian books and Bible study manuals. There were books on home health, herbal remedies, finance management, and grief management. The library contained works from generals in the faith, Josephus, and of course, there were homeschool curriculums as well. As I stepped back to look at my new collection, I laughed as I thought, “My God gave me an entire ‘end times’ preparation library!“

When God blesses his people, his intention is that the blessings would continue to flow like a river. When fresh water keeps flowing, it remains fresh. However, when fresh water stops moving, it becomes stagnant and unhealthy. I have prayed for my community, that my friends and family would come to have a saving faith in Christ. Now, thanks to our sovereign King, I have a way to help them get there. I had a great mentor! Now I can be a great mentor! Thanks, Betty! Most importantly, thank you, my Lord and my God!

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 7:11 NKJV

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

John 3:2 NKJV