Teaching That Fits Just Right
Almanzo Wilder was 76 years old when his wife Laura Ingalls Wilder published Farmer Boy in 1933. Don’t you know he enjoyed telling her stories about his wonderful childhood, while she was writing it?
In 2002 our family had the privilege of visiting the Wilder home in Malone, New York. Behind the house was the reconstructed barn Laura described in Farmer Boy, according to the drawings Almanzo drew for her. During the reconstruction of the barn, workers found the original foundations and learned that Almanzo’s drawings from memory were almost perfect.
Ray and I enjoyed returning to the homestead in 2017.
One year Almanzo’s father made him a red cedar yoke for his calves, Star and Bright. A yoke is a tool that makes work easier for people. A well-made yoke fits just right. A yoke for oxen keeps the animals together so they can work as a team; and at some places and times in history, people have used yokes to help them with their own tasks. This small oxen yoke was on display in the barn at the Wilder homestead.
The hands-on opportunities at the Wilder farm were fun when Ray and I visited in 2017. Ray took advantage of the chance to try on this yoke.
Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. What Jesus wants to teach us is exactly what we need. His teaching stretches us, pulls us, changes us. Yet at the same time, it fits just right.
That kind of learning is the best kind of learning for children, too. All their learning should draw them to Jesus and equip them to serve Him.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Don’t forget Laura’s birthday party today, February 7, at 2:00 p.m. Central. You can click on this image to register.
I love this image of being yoked with Christ. Our pastor taught on this passage not too long ago. After church, we took the kids to a Cracker Barrel restaurant to eat lunch. On the was a perfect wooden yolk. I was able to show the kids exactly what it looked like. God provided a visual for my city-dwelling family! I am so thankful for Christ and that because He came to earth, lived a perfect life, died to pay the price for my sin, rose again and now lives, I can stand before God blameless. I am yoked with Christ forever! Phil 3:8-11
We are headed to our home school convention here in OKC wishing that there was going to be a Notgrass booth with you two in it!
Love,
Cindy
Love you, too, Cindy and thank you for a beautifully-worded statement of what Jesus has done for us. So glad you saw that wonderful illustration in Cracker Barrel! We would love to have seen you in OKC, too.