PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

 

"David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death" 1 Chronicles 22:5

 

Although David had a vision to build God's house, God told him that he would not be the one to build it. Instead his son, Solomon, who was maybe only 20 years when he came to the throne, would build the house. But, that didn't let David off the hook. He prepared everything that Solomon would need to build this "exceeding magnificent" house. In fact, the Bible says that "he prepared abundantly before his death." He prepared gold, silver, iron, brass, and cedar trees in "abundance." He organized "workers of stone and timber" and "all manner of cunning men for every manner of work" to enable him.

 

This also gives us a vision for the next generation. Young people can start preparing for the home they will build for the Lord while they are in their parent's household. This is where they learn to build as they see the way their parents build.

 

We should provide all we can to prepare them for their marriage and the family God will give to them. Some of this will be material things that they will need for their home. I think it is a good idea to encourage our daughters to have a Hope Chest, or a Glory Box* as we call it Downunder. This gives them an incentive to put things away for their home, rather than wasting their money on useless and unnecessary things that are unneedful.

 

However, we should provide more than material things. We provide an opportunity for them to learn and know what is needed to build a marriage and home. I think this is one of the most beautiful blessings of homeschooling. Because daughters are in the home, they learn how to manage a home. They learn how to cook for a big family, how to organize a home, maybe how to begin a home business, and in the art of teaching as they teach younger siblings. They don't come into marriage unprepared, untrained, and confused. They come prepared and ready to embrace a family and establish a strong and godly home that will affect the nation.

 

As you know, I have young ladies who come to stay in our home to help with the ministry of Above Rubies. Most of them are girls who have graduated from homeschooling and are between the ages of 17 - 25. Colin and I constantly say that "We have the cream of America come to us." At the moment I have four wonderful girls. I call them "The cream on top of the cream!"

 

As I was writing this devotion I thought I would ask them about their lives at home. Mariah is the oldest of 11 children. What does she do at home? She cooks all the meals for the family and does all the grocery shopping, learning how to shop economically and balance the family finance. She handles the laundry and helps school the younger children. Her mother is free to give more time to homeschooling the older children and other household management. Mariah also shared that she learns so much from her mother as she observes her attitude in the home and toward her husband. As she learns from her mother how to show respect to her father, she is preparing for marriage and how to respect her future husband. And, she knows how to manage a very busy office, which she does here very efficiently.

 

I talked to Lisa. She is the oldest of 10 children. She also does meal planning, grocery shopping, gardening, canning, and laundry. She said she is learning how to find better and efficient ways to handle the laundry for 12 people in the home (and I am sure there is plenty with eight brothers).As well as this, she has her own business of teaching the piano to 33 students. They are also an amazing singing family and sing together at many functions. How I love it when their family come to the Wisconsin Above Rubies Family Retreat and sing for us.

 

We also have Jackie with us. Jackie is one of eight children. Once again, she helps keep the family running smoothly with grocery shopping, cooking, canning, and laundry. They also have a big garden and she helps her sister in the spring who has a green house business. She teaches her siblings science and history.

 

Each summer she directs a musical drama in their community, including a live orchestra, which is a huge project. She has already directed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Fiddler on the Roof. Oh yes, she sews for friends, too. My, she is the most amazing seamstress. She has been sewing the most wonderful aprons for Above Rubies readers while she has been with us (which will soon be available on www.aboverubies.org). Keep checking.

 

They are also a singing family and perform at churches, women's meetings, historical societies, and nursing homes.

 

Daughters who are at school and then off to college and away from the home do not have the same opportunity for family training. Many of these young ladies come into marriage with no idea of how to cook, manage a home, and often without a vision for children. Instead they have been programmed with a humanistic and feministic mindset which is a negative in establishing a marriage and family.

 

What about our sons? Once again homeschooling is a great blessing as fathers can often include their sons in their daily business. Fathers have more responsibility than sending their children off to school. They need to teach them how to work hard and hopefully how to build their own home. I love to see my sons-in-law periodically take their sons with them to their work so they can learn how to do a day's work and also learn how to run a business. Instead of being immature boys, they become "plants grown up in their youth" (Psalm 144:12).

 

Zadok, at 19 years is already establishing his market garden business. He is called, "Zadok, the Natural Farmer" and we often hear the Rota-tiller still going at 2.00 am in the morning! Arden, at 14 years, has also caught the vision and is ready to plough up their field and get going in the organic growing business too.

 

 How can we prepare abundantly for our sons and daughters to build strong families if they are not home? How can we prepare them to be parents if we have stopped babies coming into the home and they do not see their mother nursing and caring for little ones?

 

David made sure he provided everything that was needed for the building of the house before he died. We should also make sure we leave a legacy on how to build a great marriage and family to our children and grandchildren before we pass away.

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

 

* Here is a poem I wrote for my adopted daughters when we gave them a cedar "Glory Box" for Christmas one year.

My Glory Box

 

I dream of the day I’ll walk down the aisle
In a pure white dress with a beautiful style!

 

I pray for my man that he’ll be righteous and true,
Hard-working, faithful, and really “true blue”!

 

I pray he’ll love children and have a father’s heart
And from our marriage covenant never depart!

 

I will wait with patience for this godly man
And while I am waiting I’ll prepare and plan.

 

I’ll make myself ready in every way
Purifying my heart and character each day.

 

I’ll seek to be honest in all that I say
To keep my marriage from going astray.

 

I’ll fill my “glory box” with goods for my home
And make it a place from where we’ll never roam.

 

I will gather treasures, useful and rare
To make our home a place that is fair.

 

I will be ready to make my home a delight
Filled with God’s presence, His love, and light,

 

Enhanced by the assets I save in this chest
To make our home a “glory," the very best!

 

Mom Campbell