Will I ever get to homeschool the way I want to?

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
By Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
June 29, 2011

I ask myself this question, not once a year, but nearly every week: "When will I ever get to homeschool the way I want to?" I'd be the best homeschool teacher if it weren't for (fill in the blank: difficult interruptions/difficult finances/difficult children/friends who do it better/spouses who aren't supportive, etc.).

Should I give up if I can't afford that perfect curriculum, or what if I have it and can't implement it every day? Should I quit because I can't do the extra classes and field trips right now? Should I think of another alternative because my kids are always whining or bickering? What about those all-too-often family emergencies that interrupt the schedule? And what about that necessary part-time job that keeps me busy-shouldn't I give up on this homeschooling business?

So many things get in the way of me having that perfect homeschool setting I dream about. So many LIFE things. Instead of asking, "When will I ever get to homeschool the way I want to?" we should probably be asking, "When will life be perfect enough to let me do things the way I want them done so I can feel successful?" The answer is: maybe never. And guess what? There is freedom in that.

Instead of looking at everyday life as an "obstacle" to finally getting to do what we want to do, we need to look at the obstacles as part of the life God intended for us to live, and teach around those. It's how we live THAT life that brings glory to the One Who designed it. However, that does not release us from properly planning our ways and keeping unnecessary distractions at bay.

We should definitely start each school year praying, "God, what do you have for me and the children this year?" and then we should follow that plan as much as we can. Then, we should have a daily prayer of, "God, what do you have for me and the children today?" Then, instead of feeling like we've failed when interruptions come, we can rejoice in the fact that everything that happens out of our control is under His control.

Don't give up. Don't give in. Start again and again. Little by little, day by day, we keep it at. Why? Because we are the ones that God designed to teach our children. He didn't give the responsibility of that job to any other but you. What the Lord wills for you, He provides for you.

And, the alternatives are not worth it. The high percentage of children leaving their faith is staggering. Hold on to the hearts of your children while you can. Home is best. Home is where you belong. Home is where they belong.

"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." James 4:13-15

~Deborah
TOS Senior Editor

Balance

Balance requires examination of priorities. Our true priorities are not mere lists of activities completed or goals set, but honest reflections of our heart desires. What we consider important receives the most time, energy, attention and resources. The importance of right and balanced priorities is illustrated by the life of Martha.

Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Jesus knew that He was always welcome in the home of Martha. He often went to Bethany, to the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and even spent His final week on earth there. Jesus didn't have to wonder if He was welcome in this home or if Martha was "ready" for His presence. He knew she was. Can He say the same about us?

Seeking God begins with recognizing who He is and then living our life for Him. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. For some of us, the problem is not that we lack a personal relationship with God. Our problem is that we are not "making room" for that relationship. Balance comes when we yield to His will in the everyday moments of life.

I have discovered that when my life and my heart get too crowded there is not enough room for God. An unbalanced life is too busy for God. It is so easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activities when all He really wants is to spend time with us. Do we have the heart of a seeker, one who lives each day aware of God's presence, His plan and His priorities?

We often surrender control of our life to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in "urgent" gear. We forget what is really important. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating disorder and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent - but we must learn to discriminate between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart.

Are you ready to evaluate your life according to God's priorities? Determine the top five priorities of your life - right now. Take a deep breath and brutally examine your calendar and checkbook to see where you spend most of your time and resources. We can give lip service to what we think our priorities should be but until our daily schedule reflects those priorities, we are only "playing at life."