The Hard Days
By: Sara Wall
March is here and with it the promise of spring. I look forward to seeing everything budding with new life and the return of the cheerful music of the birds. I feel renewed and refreshed when I think of the warmer weather and barefoot days!
With spring also brings another school year to a close and I wonder how we as moms did. Maybe some of you are weary, fainthearted and discouraged. I’ve been there. When I started homeschooling, I thought it was always going to be fun and easy with an adventure around every corner. (Now mind you, with twin boys it practically was an adventure every day, but I didn’t say it was always a pleasant adventure.) But I quickly learned that although I enjoyed homeschooling and I felt fulfilled, there were some difficult days. I experienced sick days, weary days, normal days…and boring days. Yes, I’ve had them all. And some days were just plain HARD.
Is that where you are at this very moment? Are you experiencing the hard days of homeschooling? Has the joy vanished, and you don’t know where it went? Or, have you never had the joy in homeschooling your children in the first place?
Let me tell you, there is hope. How do I know? Because Jesus is alive, and He brings hope to ANY situation. I’ve experienced it in many seemingly hopeless situations. Jesus either changed my perspective or helped me to overcome, or turned the situation completely around. But I had a part to do, and that was to give it to Jesus. So whether your hard homeschooling days are because of a difficult child, a health issue, depression, weariness, or a wrong perspective, give it to the Lord and trust Him to answer you.
But maybe you are comparing yourself to another homeschooler; a sister you think has it all together. You feel that you don’t measure up. I used to compare myself to certain sisters who I thought were ‘perfect’ homeschoolers, and it made me discontent and stole my joy. Guess what I realized? They were no different from me; they had struggles too, but I discovered their secret…. Want to know what it was? It changed my perspective… They gave their struggles to Jesus. That’s it. It sounds so very simple, and yet, how often do we neglect to do that very thing? We assume our problems are too big for God. Oh, no! We would never actually say that, but in reality when we fail to cast our burdens on the Lord, that is in essence what we are saying. If we give them to God, He will show us what to do or where we are lacking.
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Perhaps it’s just a simple acceptance that this is real life; not always inspiring, yet a calm assurance that Christ is here in the midst of these ups and downs that come with homeschooling. Sometimes a change of perspective is needed; a reminder that we are doing a work that will have an eternal reward. We need to remember our initial vision for homeschooling, lest we faint and give in to feelings of drudgery.
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9
Sisters, we have an awesome responsibility in teaching and guiding our children. Let us not grow weary, but move forward in faith, believing His Word and relying on His strength and not our own. I often find when I’m weary and discouraged, it’s because I’m trying too much in my own strength. I need to purpose to commit my homeschooling to the Lord and not figure it out by myself. Jesus has all the answers to our troubles and longs for us to bring our burdens to Him.
“Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5
The Lord also desires we praise Him in all circumstances; it’s amazing what praise can do to change our perspective. And sometimes that’s all that is needed to make our home school run more smoothly. Let us praise the Lord in the good and hard days of homeschooling and see the miraculous results.
As we look for the promise of spring, the warmer weather, and the closing of another school year, so we can look to the warm rays of God’s promises in our hearts. A crown is awaiting the faithful!