FOR THE LOVE

I {Mandy} am taking the advice of one of my fave bloggers, Courtney of Women Living Well  and I am going to write today about something I am FOR rather than focusing on what I am against.

There are always things to rail against...certainly just within the past 48 hours both world-wide and nationally...but I find that when I focus my energy on the things that are "bad" or that I'm "against" it's a waste and it's stressful. Instead, I am choosing to focus on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Today, I am recognizing our children and Back To School time!

For a few years, that first day was met with much anxiety, sadness, angst, and some excitement on my part. I'm sure it was a mix of those things for my kids too. This week, I'm watching the posts on Social Media both celebrating and bemoaning the first day and the accompanying pictures. And I find myself getting choked up looking at them. At someone else's kids going off to school.

I am a sentimental fool. My husband thinks I'm crazy sometimes. And he's right most of the time. 

But there is a soft spot in my heart for children. And I love that there was a soft spot in Jesus' heart for children too (Matthew 19:14). 

I won't make this post about savoring every moment and admonishing you that these years will pass in the blink of an eye. Those kind of sentiments only make me anxious. And "savoring" every moment is almost impossible. (Let's be realistic, the day little Susie flushed an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet and flooded the bathroom is not something most of us would look back on and say, "I wish I could relive that day..." We may laugh about it later, though...much, much later...)

Our oldest is entering 3rd grade this year. Followed closely by his brother going into 2nd and their sister going into kindergarten. So, for the first 2 1/2 years of our oldest starting school, I stressed and struggled and lamented about wanting to homeschool. I was conflicted because my husband wasn't completely on board with the idea. I was torn about the fun things they would "miss" like the excitement of the first day, the beautiful classroom that welcomes them, new school clothes, new backpack and pencil box, classroom parties, awards ceremonies, friends and inside jokes, school dances, last day of school fun, independence from me, a change of scenery from home, etc etc...

And 2 days before our oldest would have started kindergarten, I caved and enrolled him in school.

And then spent the next 2 1/2 years struggling with the feeling that I was ignoring my calling to homeschool. And I watched someone else train him and teach him for 7 hours every day, Monday through Friday. I willingly gave up an enormous chunk of his life (and then his brother's as he followed suit) and swallowed any misgivings I had for the sake of maintaining a "normal" childhood for them.

Here is the 1st day of school last year. I took this photo through tears. :)

Let me stop here for a minute and remind you I am writing about what I am FOR. This is NOT a post AGAINST those who choose to send their children to school. Each one of us has to make the decisions for her children that she deems appropriate. I have friends on all sides of the spectrum; homeschooling moms, public schooling moms, private schooling moms, cyber schooling moms, un-schooling moms, co-op moms, etc. We love our kids and we all want what's best for them.

God called each of us separately to care for and make decisions for our children. 

Having said that, I want to share with you...the mom who may be considering homeschooling, the mom who feels ill prepared to homeschool, the mom who feels a tugging at her heart to homeschool, the mom who joyfully homeschools...I am sharing why we love to homeschool our children. Why we are FOR it.

We start school September 3 this year. There is no back-to-school shopping spree. There will be no meet and greet with their teachers (they already made my acquaintance ;), there is no deliberation over what lunch box and thermos to choose, there will be no early morning race to the bus stop with a half eaten breakfast and a cowlick in the wake, there will be no teary goodbyes at the school's front door or anxiety pangs the entire day wondering if they are okay, if they are safe, if they are being bullied, if they are being included, if they are eating their lunch, if they are being kind and respectful, if they are grasping a concept, and the list goes on...

But what we WILL have is a day where we wake up, start our day, begin lessons with a prayer and a devotional, and then I get the absolute privilege of watching them learn--of participating in that amazing moment when they "get" the concept or solve the problem on their own. I can watch the light bulb moment as it happens and cheer for them right then and there. We high five, we yell and hoot and holler, we celebrate and dance...all right on the spot and often.

It's now, after finishing our first year, that I wonder why I was so hesitant. Why did I question my ability? Why was I so wrapped up in the memories I thought they would miss when we have the opportunity to create our own.

I hear many moms celebrating their own independence as they now have more free time on their hands or time to put toward other things. A part of me feels envious of that, but then I DO remember that this time will be gone too fast and this is my opportunity to raise them up to the best of my ability. I will stand one day and answer for my actions and for the way I chose to raise my children. I take that charge very seriously and I feel that with God placing it on my heart to homeschool, I have to heed that calling. I have to embrace it and see it through. And I enjoy doing so. 

So, wherever you are on this subject...a mom who homeschools or wants to homeschool, a mom who sends her children to school elsewhere whether by choice or out of necessity, know that I am in NO way bashing...it's hard work being a mom and only YOU know what your kids need and what God is calling you to do. Pray about it and follow where God is leading you.

But if you are considering, deliberating about, wanting to, thinking about or launching into homescholing, I hope this post will encourage you that you are taking on a mighty work. At the risk of being cliche, these children are our future. What a noble undertaking to impart upon them the knowledge they will need to launch into adulthood and independence. If you're feeling called to do it, know that God would never call you into a ministry that He won't equip you to complete.

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