“Next to the Bible, nature is to be our great lesson book. To the little child, not yet capable of learning from the printed page or of being introduced to the routine of the schoolroom, nature presents an unfailing source of instruction and delight.”
Child Guidance, 45
With the abundance of curriculum available to us, it is often hard to know with reading the little snippets from catalogs or websites… if a particular curriculum will work for you and your child. Also, you may wonder what the materials present from a religious standpoint. Sometimes products sound good, but are a lot more work than you realized. Purchasing items that won’t work for you can be costly.
In the curriculum reviews, we share items that have worked well with following True Education principles. We share details, when we can, that will help you see if this curriculum is going to be a good fit for you and your child. Click the AHE logo below and you will be taken directly to the Curriculum Reviews page on the Adventist Home Educator website.
“Let fathers, mothers, and the educators in our schools remember that it is a higher branch of education to teach children obedience. Altogether too little importance is attached to this line of education.”
Child Guidance, 79
“The child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.” “It was his constant endeavor to become what God would have him. This is the privilege of every youth. God is pleased when even little children give themselves to His service.” (1 Samuel 2:26; Patriarchs and Prophets, 573)
What a thought to encourage us to work for the conversion of even our little ones. Now we must put our faith into actions and work for their salvation. It is quite interesting how we are counseled to prepare our children to be useful agents of the Lord in this life. We are counseled to teach our children how to work—how to be diligent workers. We can learn the blessing that work is for children in so many stories and one of those is the story of the child Samuel. “Young as he was when brought to minister in the tabernacle, Samuel had even then duties to perform in the service of God, according to his capacity. These were at first very humble, and not always pleasant; but they were performed to the best of his ability, and with a willing heart. His religion was carried into every duty of life. He regarded himself as God’s servant, and his work as God’s work. His efforts were accepted, because they were prompted by love to and a sincere desire to do His will. It was thus that Samuel became a co-worker with the Lord of heaven and earth. And God fitted him to accomplish a great work for Israel.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 573)
Can we train our children to be faithful like Samuel? Can we train them to cheerfully carry their lot in life, no matter what their age? Can we train them to regard work as service unto the Lord? “If children were taught to regard the humble round of everyday duties as the course marked out for them by the Lord, as a school in which they were to be trained to render faithful and efficient service, how much more pleasant and honorable would their work appear. To perform every duty as unto the Lord, throws a charm around the humblest employment and links the workers on earth with the holy beings who do God’s will in heaven.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 574)
Sometimes it’s difficult to train children to work. Sometimes it’s easier for parents to just do the work themselves. Why should we put so much effort into teaching them how to do their work with thoroughness and diligence? “Success in this life, success in gaining the future life, depends upon a faithful, conscientious attention to the little things. Perfection is seen in the least, no less than in the greatest, of the works of God. The hand that hung the worlds in space is the hand that wrought with delicate skill the lilies of the field. And as God is perfect in His sphere, so we are to be perfect in ours. The symmetrical structure of a strong, beautiful character is built up by individual acts of duty. And faithfulness should characterize our life in the least as well as in the greatest of its details. Integrity in little things, the performance of little acts of fidelity and little deeds of kindness, will gladden the path of life; and when our work on earth is ended, it will be found that every one of the little duties faithfully performed has exerted an influence for good–an influence that can never perish.” (Ibid.) God appointed work as a blessing, and only the diligent worker finds the true glory and joy of life. (Desire of Ages, 72)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to prepare our children to be Samuels? It’s possible and it’s needed. “The youth of our time may become as precious in the sight of God as was Samuel. By faithfully maintaining their Christian integrity, they may exert a strong influence in the work of reform. Such men are needed at this time. God has a work for every one of them. Never did men achieve greater results for God and humanity than may be achieved in this our day by those who will be faithful to their God-given trust.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 574.)
As we’re planning out our children’s learning for the next day, week, month or year, let us not forget to include learning to work. We want our children to be successful in this life and the life to come.
“These are lessons that our children need to learn. To the little child, not yet capable of learning from the printed page or of being introduced to the routine of the schoolroom, nature presents an unfailing source of instruction and delight. The heart not yet hardened by contact with evil is quick to recognize the Presence that pervades all created things. The ear as yet undulled by the world’s clamor is attentive to the Voice that speaks through nature’s utterances. And for those of older years, needing continually its silent reminders of the spiritual and eternal, nature’s teaching will be no less a source of pleasure and of instruction.”
Education, 100
The study of how the child Samuel was raised is a most interesting study. What made his mother’s efforts such a success? The description of Samuel as a child is very similar to that of Christ. It says, “The child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.” (1 Samuel 2:26) Samuel must have had a very thorough conversion experience at a young age, so that the Lord could entrust him as a child prophet. Having my children completely surrender their hearts and lives to God is my fondest hope.
I found three aspects to Samuel’s training that seemed to have a big impact on him. These were his training during his preschool years, Hannah’s life and prayers, his training in daily duties and service. I would first like to look at how Hannah trained Samuel during his preschool years and then in future posts look at the other two aspects of Hannah’s successful training of Samuel.
Samuel’s is a most interesting experience, because his mother spent such few years training him, yet prepared him to be a mighty reformer, a dedicated priest, a faithful judge and an influential national leader. Many Bible scholars suggest that Samuel moved to live with Eli around the age of five. How could Hannah have so thoroughly trained a five-year old?
There is not a lot of information on Samuel’s preschool years, but we know that is all that he had with his mother, so it’s worth reading every detail that we can find. Hannah must have believed that even the youngest child could be godly. She put every effort into nurturing a love for God in Samuel’s young heart. “From the earliest dawn of intellect she had taught her son to love and reverence God and to regard himself as the Lord’s. By every familiar object surrounding him she had sought to lead his thoughts up to the Creator.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 572) Hannah used nature to teach the child of nature’s Creator.
How much time have you spent outdoors with your preschooler recently? And of the time you have spent out there, have you spent that time talking of nature’s Creator? I want to spend more time pointing my preschooler to our amazing Creator.
Nature is an amazing resource for homeschoolers. It’s free. It’s available to everybody, even city dwellers. It’s big. It’s healthy. It offers profound lessons. “So through the creation we are to become acquainted with the Creator. The book of nature is a great lesson book, which in connection with the Scriptures we are to use in teaching others of His character, and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction that logical reasoning produces; but unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to see Him, the ear too dull to hear His voice, a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on the heart.
“In these lessons direct from nature, there is a simplicity and purity that makes them of the highest value. All need the teaching to be derived from this source. In itself the beauty of nature leads the soul away from sin and worldly attractions, and toward purity, peace, and God. Too often the minds of students are occupied with men’s theories and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn that creation and Christianity have one God. Let them be taught to see the harmony of the natural with the spiritual. Let everything which their eyes see or their hands handle be made a lesson in character building. Thus the mental powers will be strengthened, the character developed, the whole life ennobled.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 23, 24
Maybe you, like me, sometimes wonder how to turn everything around us into an object lesson about our Creator. I’ve been trying to learn to do that better. One of the ways that I have found as a starting place is using the parables of Christ that refer to nature. Taking children outdoors and teaching them the parables of Christ while they can see the things that He was referencing helps them to really grasp the meanings of His words. “So wide was Christ’s view of truth, so extended His teaching, that every phase of nature was employed in illustrating truth. The scenes upon which the eye daily rests were all connected with some spiritual truth, so that nature is clothed with the parables of the Master.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 20
Photo Credit: An Indian Paintbrush in front of a waterfall at Glacier National Park ©2009 Nathan Clark
I’d like to challenge you today: take your children, especially those preschoolers, outdoors and point them to nature and to nature’s Creator. Teach them to love Him, to respect Him and to reverence Him. Then pray that they’ll give their hearts right now to their Creator.
“Education comprehends far more than many suppose. Mind and body must both receive attention; and unless our youth are versed in the science of how to care for the body as well as the mind, they will not be successful students. It is essential that students exercise their physical powers in such a way that their physical strength shall not be disproportionate to their mental development, and therefore a judicious system of physical culture should be combined with school discipline, that there may be a harmonious development of all the powers of mind and body.”
Christian Education, 128
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