So lately I have been thinking a lot about my decision to send Abigail to preschool. It was a decision that took MUCH prayer and consideration and one I didn't make lightly. Before having children I had never given the thought of education much thought. Public school is where I went and well frankly the home school kids I knew were weird. So I never gave it a second thought that once I had children they would go to public school. Once I had Abigail, started going to MOPS and entered into friends with amazing women who home-schooled I started to see the other side of it, the cool side of home schooling and became I intrigued. I started thinking that maybe this would be the choice in education for us. Never really giving a thought the the fact that I am a single working parent. So I started to absorb everything they said when talking about home-schooling, started hanging out at their houses while schooling their children so I could see what they were doing. I was hooked and needed as much info as possible. Well as time went on, and she got older, time got closer and closer for me to begin schooling her I didn't so much start doubting my ability to teach my daughter but really started to prayerfully consider if this was God's best for my family. Working full time, and trying to get Abigail and I to a place where we actually liked each other was becoming a priority and adding something else to the plate didn't seem fair to either one of us. I have also been known to try and do everything, and try and do it perfectly. I have also been known to try and do things to fit in with people. That leads us to today's shower revelation. Over the last seven months I have been on a journey with God towards freedom. Along that journey I am reading, listening, watching ANYTHING that has to do with freedom. I was watching a message today by Bob Hamp on freedom and the definition for freedom that he gave was this. "Freedom is defined by being what God intended, created, and designed you to be" So here I am in the shower praying about some stuff with God. This decision not to home-school and some of the feelings I am having about it being one of them, when here comes the Lord with His 2x4 and He says to me "Bethany if I didn't create you to be a homeschooling mother than you were not walking in freedom by trying to be something you weren't meant to be" He hit me right between the eyes with that one. All along I have been feeling like somehow by not home schooling Abigail I was not living up to who God wanted me to be but in reality by choosing to not home school I am walking in freedom......
How's that for a revelation
I really admire the women that can do the homeschooling thing and I think that there are serious problems with our school system. In reality, if we all schooled our children at home and no Christian parents were involved in the public school system, then the darkness that has overtaken our school system will only get darker.
ReplyDeleteJust because you don't homeschool the educational needs for Abigail does not mean that you can not homeschool the spiritual needs for her. Teach her how to question the things that are being taught as fact when they should be taught as what they are, theory. Teach her to not be ashamed of Jesus Christ and to be able to give an answer when asked as to why she believes that Jesus is the Savior.
Funny thing is that I was talking to someone Sunday about this very topic. She said that if each of her children could make an impact on just one other child in the school system, it would be worth having them in the world.
Be in daily prayer for her and get involved in the school. Be a light in the darkness and God will bless your family.
I couldn't agree more with what "LMKuhn" just said. I am a stay-at-home mom of 3 and I often feel ostracized b/c I am not a "homeschooling mom". I don't have the excuse of being a working parent or not having the time. I honestly just don't have the desire. The Lord has blessed me with many strengths as a mother, but home-schooling is not one of them! I've spent a long time feeling guilty about my feelings, but the more I pray about it, the more God puts me at ease. I'm finally at a point now where I feel comfortable with the choices I've made for my children. Just b/c my children are in public school, doesn't mean that I'm not still in control as a parent. Regardless of where they're learning academically, I feel confidant that as long as I stay thouroughly involved with their learning, then I can still raise my children the way He would want me to. I had much proof of this last year when my middle child, Sydney was witnessing to all of the children in her pre-school class. I knew then that I was doing something right as a parent. :-)
ReplyDeleteBethany, only you and the Lord know what's right for your family. Abigail is so blessed to have a mother that cares for her so. With the strong foundation you have provided for her at home, I don't think you need to worry about public school "corrupting" her. Bless you on your road to freedom! You go girl! :-)