By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Continued from yesterday’s post…
“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)
I was just told by my former camp counselor that she homeschooled her son.
Wow… really? This was definitely not a coincidence. Only moments earlier I had been silently praying for God’s direction about homeschooling our daughter and son, wondering if it was a viable option for our family. I felt God nudging my heart in that direction, but it seemed like such a daunting prospect. Especially since I had no clue where to begin.
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” (Mark 10:27)
Earlier in the day, my mom suggested that I talk to someone who already homeschooled their kids to gain some insight and direction concerning our own situation. Since I didn’t know anyone who homeschooled, I prayed.
Ask and you shall receive!
“…my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Reconnecting with Ann became another defining moment in my spiritual journey. I was struggling to contain my excitement after her proclamation about homeschooling, but I knew the school office was not the proper setting to discuss this subject. We exchanged phone numbers so that I could give her a call later in the week.
I recounted the recent events of the day to my mom and she agreed that the encounter with Ann was no coincidence. I definitely needed to keep moving forward with this lead until God gave me clear direction.
During my conversation with Ann a couple of days later, it was becoming more and more clear that God was directing me to homeschool our children, but I still had huge apprehensions and insecurities about the fact that I didn’t have a college degree. Ann quickly put my concerns to rest, assuring me that a college degree was not a requirement for homeschooling. Trusting God and getting connected with the right curriculum and support system would help ensure our success. She informed me about a homeschooling conference that was coming up and offered to go with me. She also encouraged me to attend a homeschool support group so that I could network with other homeschool moms.
Over the next several months I gleaned as much information as possible, and by the following year, we were ready to homeschool. It was an amazing experience for our family, and we couldn’t have done it without God!
When Heather and Ben finally entered the school system several years later, I knew their years at home had accomplished a lot. They entered high school as confident young adults, who not only learned how to excel academically, but they soared to new heights socially and spiritually. Our precious years together learning at home provided rich growth for all of us.
Perhaps you are facing a daunting challenge and feel extremely overwhelmed. Cry out to God and seek His direction. He will direct your every step and provide you with much needed support and encouragement along the way.
“He [Jesus] replied, ‘… I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:20)
