Recently my wife (Pam) went into the attic of the house we lived in for 25 years. Everything we had collected over thirty-six years of marriage, that we really should have thrown away but weren't 100% sure we should, always found its way to our attic. Let's see, there was my 8 track tape deck that graced the dashboard of my 1973 Dodge Dart. That piece of miraculous technology brought me so many hours of musical enjoyment. I hated to replace it with a cassette player but when the heads began to chew up my tapes, I knew it was time to send it to the attic. I hated to do that to my old eight track player; I kind of felt like I was going through a divorce.
Pam also found my old manual typewriter that I used during college, forty years ago. Me and that old typewriter spent many nights together burning the midnight oil trying to finish an essay for English. Basically everything Pam found in the attic was semi-junk and should have been discarded years ago. However, the old typewriter was connected to Pam's next discovery of "buried treasure" in the attic---a box of school papers prepared by our first-born son, Brian, when he was just five years old. One letter that Brian had written to his mother and me particularly drew her attention. It was a letter that Brian had typed on my old manual typewriter. I do not know why he chose to type a letter rather than print it; but type he did. I can't honestly say that I remember him giving that letter to us or the special occasion that may have prompted it; but twenty eight years later, I consider this "letter" a priceless treasure. The thoughts expressed from the heart of this little five year old boy are so profound and penetrating that I wanted to share it with you. As I have reflected on Brian's letter this week, God has used it to say to my heart, "Thank you for investing your time, treasure and talent in homeschooling the child I placed in your care". It has literally been like getting a letter from the Lord that took 28 years to be delivered. The encouragement and blessing that the letter communicates could only be fully appreciated by a mother and father.
There are several things about Brian's letter that I know you will find interesting: 1. The spelling is atrocious. Obviously my typewriter did not have spell check. However, before you swear to never home educate your child because this is how he will turn out---remember Brian is five---not a senior in high school. Even though he did not know how to spell yet he obviously knew something about phonics. Quite frankly, I would rather have a child who knows something worth writing than a child who is a spelling bee champion with nothing important to write. William Bradford, the author of the book, Plymouth Plantation, wasn't a particularly good speller but he sure was a particularly good man. Here is a sample of his spelling: "Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all ye periles & miseries therof, againe to set their feete on ye firme and stable earth, their proper elemente. And no marvell if they were thus joyefull, seeing wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on ye coast of his owne Italy; as he affirmed, that he had rather remaine twentie years on his way by land, then pass by sea to any place in a short time; so tedious & dreadfull was ye same unto him."
2. Notice Brian's willingness to participate in home education. He was patiently waiting for his school books to arrive that we had ordered. He knew there was a difference between public education and home education. "I will be glad to do it"; "It will be good".
3. Notice the wisdom and simplicity of his faith..."God pote me in home scooll so that I would lern God's things".
Here is his letter:
Pam also found my old manual typewriter that I used during college, forty years ago. Me and that old typewriter spent many nights together burning the midnight oil trying to finish an essay for English. Basically everything Pam found in the attic was semi-junk and should have been discarded years ago. However, the old typewriter was connected to Pam's next discovery of "buried treasure" in the attic---a box of school papers prepared by our first-born son, Brian, when he was just five years old. One letter that Brian had written to his mother and me particularly drew her attention. It was a letter that Brian had typed on my old manual typewriter. I do not know why he chose to type a letter rather than print it; but type he did. I can't honestly say that I remember him giving that letter to us or the special occasion that may have prompted it; but twenty eight years later, I consider this "letter" a priceless treasure. The thoughts expressed from the heart of this little five year old boy are so profound and penetrating that I wanted to share it with you. As I have reflected on Brian's letter this week, God has used it to say to my heart, "Thank you for investing your time, treasure and talent in homeschooling the child I placed in your care". It has literally been like getting a letter from the Lord that took 28 years to be delivered. The encouragement and blessing that the letter communicates could only be fully appreciated by a mother and father.
There are several things about Brian's letter that I know you will find interesting: 1. The spelling is atrocious. Obviously my typewriter did not have spell check. However, before you swear to never home educate your child because this is how he will turn out---remember Brian is five---not a senior in high school. Even though he did not know how to spell yet he obviously knew something about phonics. Quite frankly, I would rather have a child who knows something worth writing than a child who is a spelling bee champion with nothing important to write. William Bradford, the author of the book, Plymouth Plantation, wasn't a particularly good speller but he sure was a particularly good man. Here is a sample of his spelling: "Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all ye periles & miseries therof, againe to set their feete on ye firme and stable earth, their proper elemente. And no marvell if they were thus joyefull, seeing wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on ye coast of his owne Italy; as he affirmed, that he had rather remaine twentie years on his way by land, then pass by sea to any place in a short time; so tedious & dreadfull was ye same unto him."
2. Notice Brian's willingness to participate in home education. He was patiently waiting for his school books to arrive that we had ordered. He knew there was a difference between public education and home education. "I will be glad to do it"; "It will be good".
3. Notice the wisdom and simplicity of his faith..."God pote me in home scooll so that I would lern God's things".
Here is his letter:
Brian is now 33 years old, married and the father of three beautiful children of his own. He walks with the Lord, he is a loving husband, home schooling father and hardworking provider; anyone that knows Brian knows that he truly did "lern god,s thing,s"!!!
Pam and I spent the strength of our youth bearing and training children (8 with us and two are with the Lord). We have no regrets. Neither of us could possibly imagine the joys that awaited us in this new season of our lives. I hope Brian's letter will be an encouragement to you to thank God for the privilege of having children; put everything you have into their training and education; watch them fly and enjoy the memories.When children are little they are on your toes; when they get older they are on your heart.
Dear fellow saints, when is the last time you spent some time in your attic? You just might have some great blessings up there!!!
Rick Brooker
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