Education, A Form Of Repentence

School has taken full swing this week.  Last year we started a new course of study... found at http://amblesideonline.org/index.shtml . 

Anyways, last year I wasn't really prepared for what I needed to do, and so now I feel that last year was a "preparation" year.  It was really stressful, and I didn't finish a lot of things, but now starting this year has been exhilarating. I know what to expect, and that's helped a lot. I've taken a deeper interest in my studies than I have done before.

Lately I have viewed my studies as less of a boring, tedious thing to get through so I can graduate and "move on", and more of a learning experience that develops the mind and smooths down the rough edges, an exciting adventure that involves learning about the birth of a country, the progression of politics, etc.  But I didn't come to this on my own.  It took a few years, and most of it is due to my mother's perseverance.  Something else that helped came just a few days ago. Mother read to us an article about education.  The person who wrote it quoted George Grant:

"At the beginning of every academic year I like to remind myself and my students that true education is a form of repentance. It is a humble admission that we've not read all that we need to read, we don't know all that we need to know, and we've not yet become all that we are called to become. Education is that unique form of discipleship that brings us to the place of admitting our inadequacies. It is that remarkable rebuke of autonomy and independence so powerful and so evident that we actually shut up and pay heed for a change."

This changed my view of school a lot. Not only is studying always new and exciting, but it's also humbling.  I realized that hating school, detesting it, and not being willing to put up with it were all rebellious, prideful thoughts.  If you really think about it, it's true.

God has created so much, not just in the natural world, but with history, languages - which eventually turn into grammar and English - art... So many more!  We would be fools to not want to learn about His work, and His plan - as far as it's been revealed, not in our personal lives only but in everything! in history, progression... etc. In everything.

here's the link to the entire article. I haven't read the whole thing, but my mother did and she said it was very good. :)

Correction - I accidentally linked to the lady who quoted George Grant. Here is the link to the article by George Grant.

http://grantian.blogspot.com/2005/08/repentance.html