A Beautiful Gift

It has been a fast 5 years since we began our quest in homeschooling our children. We get lots and lots of questions about why and how and when and where we "learn" our childrens. :) Possibly the why question comes up the most. My response was and still is, to some extent, that we want to equip our children for life before sending them out into it unprepared. Mentoring, praying with, and experiencing life with our children is as vital to us as feeding them three meals a day. We don't have enough money to send them to private schools and I can not imagine sending them to a public school where the name of Jesus is omitted purposefully.

Over the past year, however, my perspective has and is changing about why we do what we do. Let me stop here and give you a bit of background into our decision to homeschool. After Da Hubby and I were married, and even up until the week before Kindergarten registration for Daylor, I was ABSOLUTELY opposed to homeschooling our kids. Not because I found anything wrong with it, but because I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO!! I fought it...hard. I looked forward to having my days finally free to keep an immaculate house that even Martha Stewart would envy. I wanted to attend Bible studies and keep up with the laundry, maybe catch a lunch or cup of coffee with my friends.

Obedience can sometimes be a slow and tedious process. God finally had to remove about two weeks of sleep from my life to help "encourage" my compliance. I love how He works! He put amazing and wise people in my path who prayed for me and gave me godly counsel as to how to get started. I finally gave in but even then I really didn't believe that I had the patience or discipline to take on such a HUGE responsibility. Bottom line? I thought I was going to fail. Honestly? I still think that sometimes.

So, we began the homeschooling journey literally a month after Da Hubby and I prayed and surrounded to this new path God was beating out for us. Thank goodness He started us out in Kindergarten!!! It was fun, but as the years have gone by it keeps getting more challenging! Teaching your own children is not easy. Slitting my wrists sometimes appears to be an easier task! We do have a lot of amazingly wonderful moments, but in the name of being completely transparent, I have to say it's the most difficult, trying, and time consuming thing I have ever done. Is it worth it? TOTALLY. Is the laundry finished? NEVER.

It may appear that I am trying to discourage those considering taking this task up for themselves, but that is not at all what I am doing. I really love homeschooling. It has been a process learning to love it. And, it comes with eternal rewards.

Let's go back to my first thought about why we homeschool. My first response was all about ME. Because He wanted ME to. (Yes, I know, never end a sentence with a preposition. Humor me.) Because He impressed MY heart. Because I was going to be obedient. And while all of this is true, it's really not at all about me. Well, maybe it's about my kids!?! Hmm, while that sounds selfless and is partially true as well, it's really not about them, either. Do we incorporate Jesus in everything we do? Yes! Do we strive to direct and equip our kids to take responsibility for their faith and live a life desiring to please no one but Him? Yes! Are my kids going to be a part of what God is doing with the world to today? I believe so. So, it's all about Jesus. We homeschool because it is small a part of an Almighty plan. Humbling and powerful, to say the least.

And so, for some amazing reason, even though we homeschool because it is a part of HIS plan and for HIS glory, HE chooses to bless us in return. Why?!? When it's truly all about Him, He loves us enough to reward our obedience? Yep! Not because He needs to feel good about Himself or that He requires our praise (even though that will happen anyway due to His Sovereignty - "Every knee will bow and every heart confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Philippians 2:11), He purely wants to bestow his blessings simply because He loves us. Pretty unfathomable, huh?

OK, should everyone be homeschooling? Hmmm, I don't necessarily think so. My recommendation would be to ask God what He wants. He may want your kids in the schools to be missionaries! I don't know. He has different plans for us all. But, I will say that if He puts homeschooling on your heart, He will give you more than enough grace and purpose to accomplish His plan...even if you don't want to. :) We are living proof that His promises are always kept! Being that this is Christmas time, I am reminded what a beautiful gift this is.