So, this week will be a decisive one for us. It feels like we’re on the brink of making an enormous life-altering decision for our children. A decision which will affect their social world, academic growth and childhood memories. And a decision which will impact our finances and lifestyle. It’s the education decision.
We have a week before we need to inform our Local Authority about which school our eldest will go to.
And it’s a really hard choice to make.
School number one is around the corner, it’s “outstanding” (according to OFSTED), it’s a lovely school where Cathy herself went and has many happy memories of. Our son currently attends the nursery there and seems happy. And now he’s been allocated a place there.
School number two was not on the cards until this week. It’s a local primary school (a drive away) with a forest school attached (and all the pupils have a weekly timetabled slot there each week). And it’s also a school which would allow us to flexi-school our son. Flexi-schooling is when the parent and head-teacher come to an agreement that the child can attend school part time, and be home educated part time.
Yeah, we said it was a hard decision to make!
Two very different paths for our children. One involving some home education, the other possibly meaning that Reuben would be in full time school for the duration of his primary years.
Truthfully, it’s been a troubling few days for us. How do we make a decision like this, when we don’t know the outcome for our child?
And on the other hand – what a blessed position to be in! Two great options available to us.
So what’s the Gospel got to do with all this?
The Gospel is a sweet balm to our anxious hearts at times like this.
- We are saved by grace alone. Our children will be saved through grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If they come to faith in Christ – it will be because of God’s saving grace, his unmerited favour, his divine providence. This gives us liberty to know that as parents we can’t bring about new life in our children, and so whichever school we pick for our son – it will not affect his salvation. God decided that before time.
“For it is by grace you have been saved – through faith – and this is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8
- God is loving and in control of all things. He is our heavenly Father, he is for us, he can be trusted with our children, and we know that he works for our good. What a comfort!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
- There’s Christian freedom in Christ. As Christians we are free to make differing choices for our families and still be united to each other in the Gospel. In fact, the gospel unites people from every tongue, culture, gender, race and education type(!) into one family. We are to model unity in our diversity as Christians and to extend grace and honour to others who disagree with us. Why? Because it is Christ who justifies us. Not our particular choices.
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Romans 14:1-4
So yet again, the gospel is good news! Good news for us as parents who cannot see the future – but know a God who can and who will provide for our every need. Good news for our children as we entrust them into our heavenly Father’s care. And good news for our churches – unity in our diversity makes the Gospel attractive, as we demonstrate that as believers our identity is found in Christ, and not our different choices.
We were helped by listening to this series of podcasts on https://www.risenmotherhood.com/education/about the Gospel and Education. They are well worth a listen to, even if your children are already in your chosen method of education.