The Magnetic Letter Board

As a lover of words, it was so exciting to teach my children how to read.
They were learning but all the while thought it was play.
They wrote with crayons first followed by pencils later.
At first, their writing was squiggly lines that only they could decipher.

Soon, they were able to write the alphabet.
After those twenty-six letters were mastered, they were able to write their name.
What a day that was!
Specific letters, put together, spelled their name.

I still have the 3×5 card that we kept with the colored pencils.
On that card, everyone’s name was spelled out.
My youngest daughter would be practicing on the floor with paper and pencils.
My large upper case printing made it easy for her to see the name so she could practice.

She was so proud of herself when she showed me everyone’s name on her paper.
The door to literacy was unlocked.
I never tired of teaching my children.
Teach a child to read and the world is at their fingertips.

The way I taught my children their alphabet was unique.
It was not planned.
It just sort of happened during playtime one day.
It was a Fisher Price magnetic letter board that helped tremendously.

The magnetic letter board was rectangular in shape.
All the letters of the alphabet were magnets that fit into their corresponding shape.
The back of the magnetic board was blank.
What started as a game became the way to teach the alphabet to children eager to learn.

After singing the alphabet over and over, they were ready to see the letters they sang.
Pointing to each one, the song had more meaning.
After a while a simple prompt allowed them to point to the letter I asked them to find.
Soon, we were taking the letters off the board and began spelling words with the letters.

A simple word like CAT could be changed numerous ways just by changing the first letter.
RAT, SAT, MAT, PAT, BAT, and HAT were puzzles that they soon solved.
We would practice as many of those kind of words that we could.
It boosted their confidence to think that they knew so many words.

It was that letter game I happened to think about recently.
Find an A, I would say to them.
The A was found and was allowed to be placed on the back of the board.
Find a D, and that letter was removed and placed on the back of the board.

On and on it went until we got to the letters that were difficult for each of them to remember.
The letters they needed to work on were the letters that were left on the board.
All the letters they mastered were placed on the other side.
It helped me to know which letters we needed to practice.

The challenge was to have no letters left on the front of the board.
Those few remaining letters that proved most difficult were soon mastered.
The look of accomplishment when all twenty-six letters were removed is one I remember.
The key was unlocked; the world of books was open to them.

I thought of all of this when two, sweet young women came over to visit.
They are friends of my youngest daughter and happen to be sisters.
They came over after dinner to sit in my kitchen and talk to me.
One graduated from high school a year ago and the younger sister is a junior in high school.

They are home-schooled and attend a wonderful learning center nearby.
They are both incredibly musical.
Their voices are beautiful and the youngest sister’s piano skills are amazing.
I enjoyed our evening together.

It was talking about future plans that made me think of the magnetic letter board.
It is difficult to know what you are called to do with the gifts that God has given you.
There is such a smorgasbord of choices available to young people.
The vastness of the choices make it even more difficult to hone in on what you are to do.

These young women have strong faith and know that the Lord will direct them.
Sometimes through trial and error, we find our way.
Sometimes what we think we want to do proves to be the thing we cannot or do not want to do.
Having so many choices, though a blessing, can also make the decision even harder.

I told them about our magnetic board.
I told them how the letters that were mastered were put on the back of the board.
I told them that the letters left on the front were the ones that needed more time to learn.
It was a way of seeing progress and a way of seeing what still needed work.

Knowing what you do not want to do is more than half the battle, I said to them.
By process of elimination, you dismiss those things that you are not called to do.
It’s as if you take those choices and put them of the back of the magnetic board.
The choices that are left on the front are ones that need to be considered.

I never thought that a magnetic letter board could be used for a life lesson.
I never thought that a game which began without any formal planning would help them now.
Knowing what you do not want to do is more than half the battle.
I know those young women left my kitchen encouraged.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

After they left, I was reminded of something I heard years ago and taught to my children.
Make you unshakable unbreakables.
Set those things that you will not do ahead of time.
If you are tempted, faced with choices on the spot, you have already said, No.

Setting unshakable unbreakables is so important.
It is as if you take all the things you can do or should do and put them on the back of the board.
The things that are left on the board are the unshakable unbreakables with no compromise.
That has helped my children through the years when faced with things the world offers.

Use a metaphorical magnetic board and set your unshakable unbreakables.
The things on the back of the board are permissible.
The things left on the front of the board are the things you have said, No, to beforehand.
Knowing what you do not want to do is more than half the battle.

When faced with life decisions, thought is required.
Sometimes that decision has to happen immediately.
It is then you picture your life’s magnetic board with your unshakable unbreakables on the front.
It is then you know how to answer what is before you.

We, who are in Christ, have the Holy Spirit to help us.
Make a list of your unshakable unbreakables, those things on which there is no compromise.
Do you see them on the front of your board?
Then you will see what needs to be worked on and what needs to be considered.

Knowing what you do not want to do is more than half the battle.