First, an apology that we are a week later than normal. Our laptop died and I cannot type anything worthwhile on my phone screen nor upload pictures. I honestly hate using my phone. But, I digress.
Secondly, you need to know that this post is about 2-3 years in the making. I have often been asked the question "Why do you homeschool?" and, honestly, it's been one that I struggle to answer correctly.
My initial desire is to list off all the wonderful things about homeschooling.
Lack of peer pressure
Truly individualized learning opportunities
Control of our schedule
Control of the curriculum
Freedom to focus our teaching through the lens of Christianity and truth rather than the current popular worldview of the day.
The list can go on and on, but is that really why I homeschool my children?
Answering the question of "why" is much more important than I initially believed. I used to think - what does it matter why? I'm doing it, right, so who cares why?
Then God, in His wonderful way, whispered truth to me in the midst of a storm in my life. Why we homeschool helps us keep focus when we can't homeschool.
Mind blown.
Like, so what about peer pressure when you're literally dealing with life and death?
So what about the ability to control our schedule when we have no control over that is happening in life and our schedule is too crazy to even manage?
Curriculum? We haven't been able to open a book in a month, does curriculum even matter?
Depression, anxiety, health issues... There are so many things that can get in the way of all the good reasons to homeschool.
What motivates me to homeschool - what motivates you to homeschool - matters. It matters because you may only be homeschooling for a few years. You may homeschool one child and not another. You may be in it for the long haul. You need to know why, so you can plan and stick with it for the duration.
That let me back to the basics, to the heart of the issue. What is my motivation, what will keep me homeschooling and what would make me choose to stop if I did?
Why Do I Homeschool?
See, after much prayer, the true answer became obvious. God called me to homeschool. End of story. He called me to it, and I said "yes". My husband was fully on board. In fact, this was something that we entered our marriage knowing that we were going to do as a family. Knowing that this is a calling from God is what keeps me going. In the hard times when "life" happens and academics are pushed aside. When there are tears over math, defiance concerning writing, and complete apathy regarding everything, I know that God called us to homeschool.
After all that He has done for me, can I really turn my back and say no? He willingly left His throne where angels ministered to Him and all of heaven worshiped His name to come to earth and wrap Himself in flesh. He dealt with fatigue, hunger, temptations, rejection... He was willing to suffer the cat-of-nine-tails, then have Himself hung on a cross with nails hammered into His hands and feet, having to push up on those nailed feet in order to breathe, scrapping His already wounded back... all while the Father turned away because of the weight of sin that was upon my Lord Jesus.
Surely, I can make it through another day, another week, another year, of homeschooling. Such a small thing to ask of me.
Will I ever stop homeschooling? It will literally take an act of God since it is He who called me to it. So... I seriously doubt it.
Does that mean homeschooling is easy for me? Sadly, no. We have some great days, we have some rough days, and everything in between.
But I know why I am homeschooling. This why has helped to shape the look of my homeschool throughout the years, and will continue to mold and shape us as a family.
I'm going to rephrase something my pastor says often to fit what we are talking about.
Our homeschool isn't what it should be, but I thank the Lord that it isn't what it was.
Just as God has grown me, He is growing our school, our family. I wouldn't miss this journey for anything.
