Tuesday, August 4, 2015

And Along Came Homeschooling...

We have decided to homeschool our children... all of them... starrrrtinnnngggg NOW!

I'm so excited about it, and I want to tell the world! (Which I'm doing... kinda cool, eh?) Now with homeschooling still a bit taboo, I want to not only share our decision, but also answer all questions, dispel all myths, relieve all fears, and leave everyone feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside, with a spirit of acceptance!

Too much? Absolutely. In fact, I actually have to tell myself: Give it up, pup. Not gonna happen. But what I can do is solicit your prayers!

Here goes... I am the product of a K-12 public school education. I earned a degree from a state university. I landed my dream job as an elementary music teacher in a public school system, only walking away to become a stay at home mom. And since being a SAHM, my oldest 3 kids have experienced, you guessed, a public school education. I don't fear public school. I fully embrace it... with all the kinks and quirks it has to offer. It's not perfect... but I'm not intimidated or influenced by its imperfections. Simply put, the decision to homeschool has nothing to do with "public school".

So what gives?

We are homeschooling out of... obedience. We believe that this is what we are called to do, for our family, in this season.

I must be honest and say that amid all the excitement, that I'm a bit SCARED! Seriously. Can I really do this? Can I successfully tackle the job of homeschooling all of our children... and do it well? After all, I am consistently inconsistent, the queen of procrastination, a target for distraction, and what's worse is that I am notorious for starting a project and not seeing it through to completion... which, in and of itself, is probably my biggest fear: Will I have the discipline to sustain????

I began drowning in a pool of insecurities.

Sigh...

I tell you what, it wasn't too long before I had to just get over myself! I truly believe that the Lord is faithful to equip me to do the things that He has called me to do.  I was reminded of my original response when I felt the Lord leading me to homeschooling...  "Lord, if you give me the grace, I will do it."  The Lord then so graciously brought back to mind the conversation with my husband, when I nervously said, "Hey, I'm thinking about homeschooling..." To which Ken replied, "Good. That's what I have always wanted you to do." Wow. The leading of the Lord... the affirmation of my husband... Yes, the Lord is doing His perfect work. He calmed my spirit.

And it's in the comfort of God's grace, that I find strength to do the seemingly impossible. Homeschooling is not about me. It's not about who I will impress, or how smart my children will prove to be. No! Homeschooling provides me with yet another opportunity to glorify the Lord! And the weaknesses that are so magnified in me, are the very things that will keep me humble and dependent on the Lord. 

That's why I believe this is a calling. That's why the choice to homeschool has nothing to do with public school. That's why I make no attempts to convince the world around me, and why there isn't a specified time frame. Please understand, homeschooling doesn't make me holy... any more than public school made me a pagan. Instead, I am convinced that my life is about walking in obedience to whatever it is that God has called me to do... For His glory!


Let your light so shine before me, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 
~Matthew 5:16





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