Quite a couple weeks in my house. Super Joy (a.k.a. Amelia, a.k.a. “Jamelia” by the commune) turned one year old a couple days ago. Christina always says that the girls’ first year seems to fly by. I didn’t agree with the first two, but with JoyJoy it really seems true. I spent a lot of daddy-daughter time that first year with all three, but I think perhaps the most with Joy. Maybe that’s what has made it seem fast, the old adage that time well spent goes quickly.

The other big item on the family front is G starting kindergarten. We’ve been having the home-private-public school discussion for years now. I’ll save my take on that snakepit of a subject for another post, but suffice to say we came to two decisions:

1. As a family we will take it year-by-year, reassessing things annually to determine what is the best avenue for the girls individually and our family as a whole for that particular year.
2. Big girl is going to public school this year.

It’s so odd. In some ways it’s a very small transition. We’ve been teaching her to read, some math, science, and arts for awhile now. Additionally she’s been through one excellent mother’s-day-out (The Bridge Fellowship…I know nothing of the church as a whole, but their MDO is excellent and modestly priced), and a decent pre-k private school (Faith Lutheran…not as impressive as the Bridge, and expensive, but a good experience overall).

But in other ways it’s a major hurdle. I love instructing my children. Academics is fun, but more than anything I love teaching them the Bible and challenging G’s worldview (the 2 and 1 year old aren’t ready for discussions on our imperfections and the grace of Yahweh…probably next year). That’s what kills me most about sending her to school, that I won’t be the one getting to have all those talks with her (again I’m not hitting on moral and theological issues in schooling yet…stay tuned for the next post). Yes, I’ll get a lot of time and talks with G, but I don’t want a lot of them…I want all of them. I’m a jealous father who wants to provide his daughters with all they need. I know I can’t do it. But sometimes knowledge doesn’t make it any easier. Christ knew he would be resurrected by the Father, but it didn’t make his road to the cross any easier. No, I’m not comparing my situation to the Lord’s atonement for sin. But the cross does illustrate that knowledge alone doesn’t always suffice. There is something more in difficult times, a knowledgeable faith. An informed faith, but faith.

So with informed and experienced faith I’m excited about my little big girl getting more exposure to this godless society. Honestly though, it’s not like Ft. Bend county schools are bad. I grew up in So Cal and went to a few schools that were more like an extension of the juvenile detention facility than a place of education. But even so, I know she’s going to take some knocks. I know her still forming worldview and faith are going to be shaken by students and teachers alike. It’s saddening in one way, and exhilarating in another. The accusations of being a bad parent cross my mental landscape. But the light of the cross and joy of teaching the truth of Jesus in trials shines brightest.

I heard this dude tell a story once about his elementary age son. His boy was riding his bike in the downtown city streets where they live. A few bullies from the neighborhood rode by, knocked him off his bike, punched him, and then left. This father came to his son, stood him up, brushed him off, and with loving faith belted out, “Praise God son! It’s like training for the mission field!” To some that is sadistic. To some the cross is “divine child abuse”. But to those who have glimpsed the depth of our separation from Yahweh’s perfection in light of the grace of Jesus, it’s glorious. Time is short, and her training must continue!