In God Speaks, Parts 1, I began the story of how
God worked in me and in my family to help us know that homeschooling was His
will for my boys. The story continued in God Speaks, Part 2, when God told us we
needed to STOP homeschooling! Throughout all of this, God spoke to us from
multiple angles, using multiple messages from multiple sources, including
sermons, other people, Bible study topics, and His Word. He then gave us
confirmation through circumstances, by opening and closing doors, and by giving
us peace of mind.
But as I would soon learn, I was only getting part of the picture.
Once God had finally convinced me that it was time to stop homeschooling, my
husband and I began researching local Christian high schools. There were several
viable options, and we set about to pray for God's guidance.
Were we in for a surprise!
God dealt with me first. He placed a general uneasiness in my heart. I couldn't
believe what I was feeling, and when I asked Him for guidance, memories of my
own experience in Christian schools came back to mind. Though I had a positive
Christian school experience, I couldn't help recalling the bad influences in
those schools and how many of my friends had fallen into their traps. Then, out
of the blue, a friend who had kids in Christian school began telling me about
all the bad influences her kids were being exposed to.
When I began to seek God's further direction, He began giving me curious
messages. Every time I picked up my Bible, the message was about "something
different", something very "pagan", something that I would never have considered
on my own. Then He began speaking to me about witnessing to the unsaved. There
was only one thing that matched up to the messages I was receiving: Public
school!
This took a few days for me to digest, but once I was able to contemplate the
idea without getting upset, God began reassuring me through His Word that He had
a special place carved out for my boys in the public school system, that they
would do mighty things for Him there.
I was finally convinced, but the rest of the family wasn't.
When my husband suggested that the entire family pray about the situation, God
dealt with my younger son first. He told him, again through His Word, that an
"unexpected" change was on the way, that he would be among those "who didn't
know the Lord". Next He told my older son that he was to be a "light in a dark
place".
God was confirming the message He had given to me!
God spoke to my husband in a different way. In a very vivid dream, he saw our
older son sitting in an Extended French classroom of a local public high school,
being taught by a specific teacher. Not only was God confirming public school,
but He was also telling us which school and which program!
It all sounded pretty convincing, but we are human. We asked the boys to pray
about it once again, and the next day, my older son, who was blessed with a very
mathematical brain, came downstairs very excited: "God gave me the answer!"
We were immediately interested. "How so?"
"God told me to let my Bible fall open. So I did. It opened to Ps. 100!"
By the look of excitement on his face, I knew that he thought we should be as
excited as he was, but my husband and I just looked at each other in dismay.
"And?" I prompted.
"And that was it!"
"Aren't you going to tell us what's in Ps. 100?" I pushed.
His face fell. "Uh . . . I don't really know. I didn't read it!"
"But," I sputtered, "if you don't know what's in Ps. 100, how do you know what
God was trying to tell you?"
"But that WAS it, mom!" He said. "The answer was that I opened it to Ps 100!"
From my husband's expression, it was evident that he wasn't following this
conversation any better than I was.
"Mom, remember Centennial High?"
I nodded slowly. This was the name of the local high school that my husband had
seen in his dream.
He was excited now. "Mom, the Latin prefix for 100 'cent'! 100th year is a
'centennial'! And 100 in French is also 'cent'!"
Finally we understood. God spoke to my mathematical son through an avenue that
only he would understand, and by giving him Ps. 100, God was specifically
telling him that that he should join the Extended French program at Centennial
High!
Friends, God uses many different ways to speak to us, and most of them are ways
that only you, yourself, will understand. Whenever you are faced with a
decision, tune in to your heart. Ask yourself the following questions: " What is
God specifically telling me through His Word? Through others? Through Bible
Study? Through Pastors? " Do I have peace about this? " What have the
"open/closed" doors shown me? " Have there been any miracles involved? " What
impression is God putting on my heart? " How is He shaping my thinking? These
things will all come together to point in a general direction, but if you're
still not convinced, ask God for confirmation. Ask others to pray about it, too.
The results are guaranteed! "This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that
he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1
John 5:14,15)
My boys are currently beginning their second years in the Extended French
program of the Public School system. My oldest is at Centennial, and my youngest
will join him there at the end of this school year. They are both doing very
fabulously well. And why not? When you let God guide, you can't go wrong!
Lyn Chaffart
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