*This article was written by Betsy Robertus
The most important reason we homeschool our children is time. It takes time together to build the important relationships in their lives: with each other, with their parents, and most importantly with God. It takes time to raise them with a Biblical worldview. It takes time to instill the godly values we want to instill in them. With so much to accomplish, I feel it is vitally important to be good stewards of our time and our children’s time.
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
I admit when I first heard of the idea of homeschooling – after college but well before children – I thought, “Who would do that?!? That’s insane!”
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25
Slowly the Lord worked on my heart. When my oldest was a baby, I met a woman who only homeschooled her children for middle school. I thought that was a good idea. Those seemed like especially precarious years. I thought, “If I ever homeschool, I’ll do it for those years.”
I still had that plan in mind when my oldest was in kindergarten in our local public school. She wasn’t having a bad experience, but I grew very anxious as I thought about our future: increasing time away from home during her best hours, increasing homework, correcting all the learning and socializing she would be receiving that wasn’t Biblical, participating in an evening Bible program at church, training in serving others, time for disciplining, possibly a sport or extra-curricular activity AND time for building those important relationships?!? Impossible!! We couldn’t do all this during weekends and after-school hours! What would suffer the most? Relationships. The most important thing. It would be impossible to disciple our children without plenty of time together to have the relationship that turns our hearts to them and theirs to us, and then to the Lord.
When I finally took my anxiety to the Lord during quiet time with Him, He immediately answered me. “You need to homeschool.” No! I couldn’t do that! At least not yet. With my son entering preschool, the next school year was going to be the first time my children would both be in school. I told the Lord I planned to make good use of those three mornings each week: I’d do chores, errands, exercise, sew, volunteer in the classrooms and fellowship with friends.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
Even though I wasn’t convinced, I started researching homeschooling. I’m so thankful for all the information that is available on the web and in books. I made a list of the pros and cons. The pro list was quite lengthy. The only thing on the con list was my time: for getting things done and having time to myself. Despite the clear message from the Lord and the overwhelming evidence, I still couldn’t commit to homeschooling.
Finally, I said to the Lord, “I am clutching those three mornings to myself. If you really want me to homeschool, please help me let go of those mornings! I cannot do it without your help.” Immediately I felt my grip on those mornings open up, I let go of them, and I could finally see the enormous blessings that would come from homeschooling my daughter those three mornings.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3: 21-22
Those days working with the Lord to change my heart were a “mountain-top” experience for me. I felt so close to the Lord by hearing His voice, seeing His answers to my prayers, and having the peace that comes from obeying. Those mountain-top moments would sustain me during the coming valley.
Our first few months of homeschooling were difficult. My daughter had some character issues we had to work through at the same time I was doubting all I was doing day-to-day regarding her education. When I felt like quitting, I took strength from remembering the Lord’s clear call to do this. When I cried out to Him regarding the difficult heart issues we were working through, He showed me that if she could not submit when she was 6 years old, what could I expect when she was 16?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
We stayed the course, drew incredible encouragement and wisdom from experienced homeschooling moms, and worked through those challenging months. The Lord grew us and our relationship in a unique way and I wouldn’t trade those months for anything. I delight in my children, their own personal growth processes, and the time we have for discipling and training. I pray always that we spend our time in a way that glorifies the Lord.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12