Our Roads Less Traveled

by Teri Spray

Your home schooling program is unique, as are you and your children. How can we relax and let God be God in our lives and our schooling program?

As children in the kingdom of God, we each deal with a variety of circumstances every day.  I love the comforts of my American lifestyle and really struggle when things are uncomfortable for me. Once when I was pouting about some area of need in my life. I believe I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart... "Solomon did not have as many comforts as you." Wow! That got my attention. Surely even King Solomon's riches could not produce a Beautyrest Pillow Top mattress, an electric blanket, or a microwave! I began to feel quite blessed!

As we traveled through India, I was amazed by the resilience of the Indian people despite their personal hardships. Some would deliver giant loads with nothing but a bicycle. Others would walk many miles with loads upon their heads. We met many school children who would sit quietly on cement floors for hours. I felt even more blessed as I returned to the comforts of my American home and lifestyle after our visit. I am grateful that God has not called me to deal with those challenges or hardships on a long term basis.

More than ever, I am reminded that God is working in each of our lives in a very unique fashion. Everywhere we look, we see the Lord at work in each of our lives bringing us challenges which are unique to each of us. For example, your home education program should not be a carbon copy of anyone else's program. Through your unique journey, God is going to work mightily in your family.

If you have a child who has a disadvantage in one or more learning skills, I believe God will teach you and your child to become resilient home schoolers through this need. This means that even when things are challenging, you can learn to work around it and rise above it. For example, you may need to drill a skill for a while before it is mastered. If this is the case, drill in bite-sized pieces often, at least once a day for a maximum of 15 minutes. Like our friends in India, you will develop strength and resilience as you develop your own set of abilities to do drills which work best for you and your child.

You may have a child who needs many breaks during the day. This is the blessing of home education, but parents must also learn to be structured and consistent so they can return to school after the break. This is where God trains parents and children alike. Have you often wondered why the Lord placed your children with you in your family? I am now convinced that God gives us children who have uniquely challenging characters in order to mold and shape our characters while we attempt to mold and shape our children's. Through your sacrificial choices, God is building a stronger character in you as well as in your children.

I believe we are each on a path of individualized curriculum from God. Some of us are in advanced faith training schools while others are in back-to-basics programs. Some of us are learning how to grow Fruits of the Spirit, while others are taking healing courses. There is one textbook, the Holy Bible; meanwhile there is one Holy Spirit which counsels each believer in a million unique paths of application. God has called each person to walk in the fullness of His perfect will for our lives.

Relax in your own style of teaching and your child's style of learning. You need not worry that you do things differently from other home educators and other schools. Get tough in the places where you need to work hard. Rejoice, ease up and relax whenever possible and enjoy the comforts of home education. It's okay to enjoy your blessings!

At Christian Cottage we believe that God is giving you daily guidance to help you and your children through the learning process. We believe that you as parents should control and direct your children's education because God is giving you His Game Plan. We are here to encourage you and equip you to win.