Our family began homeschooling in 1994 when our precocious little 4-year-old wanted to learn but was "too young" to begin kindergarten by the local county age requirement for public school. She was curious and loved books. She was able to sit quitely and listen at the local library during "Story Time". She demonstrated all the qualities necessary to begin a formal education. Should we deny her an opportunity to learn simply because her birthday was "late" in September? I prayed and fasted seeking God's will for our daughter. I researched the idea of home school. I talked to parents in the community regarding school options. I prayed and prayed some more. As always, God was faithful. Through prayer and petition, He guided us toward the path of home education.
Over these past 18 years of home education, our family has made memories, experienced amazing opportunities, enjoyed the fellowship of one another, watched as miracles happened with learning difficulties, witnessed wondrous learning and so much more. As I type this simple sentence, I struggle to simply relay in words the testimony of our God's faithfulness to our family. How must the Israelites have felt after leaving Egypt? In their exodus from slavery, (and please don't misunderstand that I am calling any other type of education "slavery") they must have been overjoyed and overwhelmed that their God would rescue them and free them from bondage! What would they have written in a "blog"? How would they write a testimony of God's love for them? We know too well that they quickly forgot their beautiful story of freedom and they became distracted by a desire for foods, culture, clothing and other "things" from their previous life in the rich country of Egypt. Such is my story each year as I re-evaluate the plan for home school.
Each spring as I consider the opportunities for my children, I am always quite sure that someone somewhere could do a better job than I am currently doing for my children. I look at the options for education and I imagine something different. My focus becomes "horizontal" and not "vertical". I look around instead of looking up. How quickly I fall when I take my eyes off Christ! This is when I begin to compare our home school and my students to others. I was sweetly convicted of this today as I opened my morning devotion, Jesus Calling, and read these words:
"STOP JUDGING AND EVALUATING YOURSELF, for this is not your role. Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people. This produces feelings of pride or inferiority; sometimes, a mixture of both. I lead each of My children along a path that is uniquely tailor-made for him or her. Comparing is not only wrong, it is also meaningless."
How beautiful the conviction and correction of our Heavenly Father! He gently rebukes our sinful thoughts and redirects us to the path He has chosen. I am reminded in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans for us and for our children. He wants to prosper us and not to harm us; to give us hope and a future! Keeping our eyes on Him (VERTICAL!) is the goal.
"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
~ PSALM 37:6
