character

We've started school around here. For real this time.

We probably didn't really NEED to start but there isn't much to do around here and the kids needed something to do besides spending the whole entire day starting at some sort of a screen.

Mirielle continues to fight, complain, whine, cry, argue (feel free to insert any other verb in there that you can think of). It really has been a battle of the will with her. She was pulling out anything and everything she could think of to go against me and having to sit and do work.  At first it was about the work.  Then it was about how we ruined her life.  Then it was about how we ruined her friends' lives too.  All the stops my friend, all the stops.

Last week I feel like I spent the better part of my week being verbally abused by my 9 year old. It was completely exhausting.

Right now we are just working on review sheets from a workbook. And heaven forbid, I asked her to write a 7 sentence letter to her teacher. The first night I made her keep at it until 6:30 at night. The second day until 4:30. The rest of the week wasn't much better. And the sheets that she hasn't done just keep stacking up.

I don't know how to reach this kid.

While I was sitting in the office/school room last week with her I read through these verses.

Romans 5:3-5 
We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts though the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Heaven knows this child thinks she is suffering.  And today I am praying that this year will be a major milestone in the growth of her character.  Character that comes through endurance that leads to hope.  Praying that for me too.  Because quite honestly I'd like to give up on her.  Already.  Endurance Lord, endurance.  Character.  Hope.

I know this really is a huge change for her.  In some ways I'm proud of her for handling it so well.  She is such an amazingly fantastic kid.  This is our sticking point, though.  This is where the Lord needs to change both of us.  We're both buying into the lie that we can't do it.  And it is a LONG year ahead.