Dishing Up Devotions for Homeschooling Familiesنموونە

Homeschooling Requires Perseverance

A friend of mine has five amazing children ranging in age from two to twelve, and she recently launched into her new school year. She took a photo at the end of her first day and captioned it: “Back to school! Everyone woke up happy, did their work without complaint, spoke kindly to their siblings, took turns asking me questions and waited their turn to ask. The toddler played quietly, didn’t interrupt and put away his toys, and they did it all in a timely and orderly fashion! Reality is the opposite of all those things, but we’re learning life skills and grace—lots of grace, and hopefully some math.” The photo depicted the aftermath of most of our homeschool days, with parts and pieces strewn all over the house and a naked toddler plopped smack in the middle of the chaos. 

Life is messy and homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It requires grit. We cling to the hope offered through Jesus, knowing the trials we face build perseverance and develop our character. 

I have yet to meet a homeschool mom who didn’t begin to question her decision within the first year. Homeschooling sounds glamorous and amazing…until you dive into it. In the throes of chaos and conflict, quitting seems very appealing, but we have to remember what awaits us on the other side. We live each day with the end in mind. Our why propels us into our purpose in the face of difficulties. Why did we decide to homeschool? Why do we serve God? 

If you’ve never created a homeschool mission and vision statement, I encourage you to do so. Your mission defines the end goal, and your vision determines how you’ll carry out your mission. Once you write them out, put them on display for your whole family to see. Read them when you feel discouraged, and then allow your why to give you the strength and determination to persevere through the problems.

Family Activity

Grab some Play-Doh or modeling clay and talk about how God is the Potter and we are His clay. Explain how hard times refine us and God desires to model us after Jesus. The molding can feel painful, but it is necessary in order to make us new creations. If we neglect the clay, it hardens and becomes unusable. We must keep our hearts tender and allow God to constantly work in our lives.