Little By Little

Sometimes I get an anxious feeling that I need to teach my children as much as possible as soon as possible.  For example, if God is teaching me something specific or I discover a great new passage in Scripture, I feel like I want my kids to know it NOW so they won't have to wait until they're my age. 

But then I come back to reality and know that life doesn't work that way.  The Lord teaches us things at certain times in our lives for a reason.  It's quite possible I was “taught” these things earlier, but it didn't sink in because I wasn't ready to learn them.

Here is a wonderful poem that is so encouraging about just being diligent and teaching our children daily, little by little.  I found it in Karen Andreola's book A Charlotte Mason Companion.  The author is unknown.

Little by Little

“Little by little,” an acorn said,

As it slowly sank in its mossy bed;

“I am improving day by day,

Hidden deep in the earth away.”

Little by little each day it grew;

Little by little it sipped the dew;

Downward it sent out a thread-like root;

Up in the air sprung a tiny shoot.

Day after day, and year after year,

Little by little the leaves appear;

And the slender branches spread far and wide,

Till the mighty oak is the forest's pride.

“Little by little,” said a thoughtful boy,

“Moment by moment I'll well employ,

Learning a little every day,

And not spending all my time in play;

And still this rule in my mind shall dwell,

‘Whatever I do, I will do it well.'

Little by little I'll learn to know

The treasured wisdom of long ago;

And one of these days perhaps we'll see

That the world will be the better for me.”

And do you not think that this simple plan

Made him a wise and useful man?