A Walk to the Park: Lesson in Learning

The rainy gray days that have plagued our city the past few days are gone and the sun is bright and shining. The air is still a bit chilly but it's the perfect weather for a walk to our local park. One of the two town parks is less than one block away, so we often walk to the colorful playground often. These are the moments where Charlotte Mason's methods of learning are so easy for me to incorporate. Today, we were walking along when Hunter stooped noticed a late blooming dandelion and gave it to his baby sister. What an opportunity to praise his generous heart. A few more steps and we found acorns that had been half eaten. We discussed what animals eat acorns and what tree the acorns had come from. And a few steps later Hope noticed a large looking glass globe in someone's front yard. She and Hunter stood there making faces at themselves (and of course mom's in the background making sure they are keeping their distance so as not to knock it over!). Eventually, we crossed the street and made our way to the park. I am quite sure the kids enjoyed the journey to the park more than actually being at the park. Sure, the swings were fun, and climbing the spider web was exhiliarating, but the dandelions, sticks, acorns and silly faces were what they spoke about later. If only this were my perspective--enjoy the journey, be okay with taking my time and learning along the way. Instead, in this instant gratification culture, I want to get where I'm going immediately, stay so busy that there is no time to investigate what I am learning, and once I am at my destination only look forward to the next one! This sure isn't how I want to teach my children to live and learn, and I am sure this is not how God teaches me! I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, God-centered Mom, last week, and an 87 year old woman was being interviewed. She mentioned that oftentimes young women would ask her, "How do I know if I'm doing God's will?" And she replied with a section of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I hadn't ever read that verse in the context of looking for God's will within it. Instead, I have always used that verse as the reason for the importance of prayer and joy in every circumstance. My pea-sized brain has failed to connect the two until now--one of the ways I know I am in God's will is when I practice gratitude, joy and prayer. This can be done along the journey...oftentimes, I get caught up on reaching the destination that the journey gets lost. However, the walk to the park is as much, if not more, of a learning and growing experience than being at the park.