Homeschooling — that’s what I having been doing with my daughters since birth, though I didn’t really realize it in those early years. Yes, I considered myself a stay-at-home mom, but I never thought of myself as a homeschool mom until much later. Even so, in those early years, we spent hours playing with playdough, baking together, digging in a makeshift sensory tub, going on field trips, coloring, pretending, making up stories and reading, reading, reading all sorts of children’s books. It was very challenging many days, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Taking my oldest to preschool when she was almost 5, on the other hand, felt very unnatural. Yes, she had a wonderful time there and made friends. Yes, we both liked her teacher and the teacher’s assistant very much. But I just never had a peace about sending here there, especially after the terrible asthma episode she had that fall. She constantly needed breathing treatments and was still too young to use an inhaler. How I fretted each morning, trying to fit breathing treatments into the already tight morning routine. Then every time I kissed her goodbye, I wondered what her oxygen level was and whether her lungs were working well. Yes I prayed, but I also worried a lot.

In retrospect, I can say that God spoke to me that preschool year. Through my daughter’s asthma and the trials we faced, God showed me that He was calling our family to do something different. He showed me that — at least for now — homeschooling is an opportunity for Him to reveal Himself to our family and display His glory, power and strength.

In her book Discerning the Voice of God, author Priscilla Shirer says,

“When you face two options and each seems to please God, consider the one that displays God’s glory, power and strength. This makes room for God to reveal Himself to you and show Himself through you. God wants us to see the wondrous things He will accomplish in us. Don’t be fearful about the hard road He may ask you to take. Be encouraged and excited about seeing His divine, supernatural activity in and through you… God’s voice commands the option that will display His power. He desires to show Himself strong in you and will encourage you to do things that require trust and faith.”

In deciding to homeschool, I came across many, many reasons why it would be a good fit for our family. But this one  is paramount — that God’s power could be displayed through homeschooling. For me, it requires much trust and faith to educate my kids. Since I don’t have a background in teaching, God really has to show Himself strong in our homeschool. And He does. Even in planning the little details, as you may recall in this post about orchestrating the swans. God is faithful to equip me and encourage me and do it also!

So, whether you are contemplating homeschooling or contemplating some other hard road, may you listen closely to God’s voice and allow Him to display His incomparably great power in your life!