I Got the Homeschool Blues

"Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow
shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".
"...for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things"
(Matthew 6:34 and 32b).

It might surprise you what I mean by these "blues".  You see, homeschooling is one of my biggest blessings.  My hubby and I believe it is what the Lord would personally have for us to do.  Love having my children, now amazing teens, at home during the day and learning using curriculam personally chosen for each of them.  Been lovin' it for twelve years now.  Adore my small homeschool group which two friends and I started our very first year of teaching Kindergarten.  We are uniquely bonded by friendship, Christian love, and a common purpose; and we are still going strong.

Well, here goes.   I'll share my "woes" with you, beginning with this.  For the first time in twelve years, it is September first, and we have not started our school year yet!  We always start mid-August.  But this year for the first time, we did summer classes.  Not a full load, nevertheless up until a month ago, our kids were still working.  Bummer, right?   Well, I just strongly felt we needed to do this, and we did get extra work done.  (However I can assuredly say, it was not only our first but also our LAST time to extend our school year).  Summer's for the birds.  And the flowers.  And swimming.  And.....


Oh, we've had a wonderful season anyway, and our family has indeed soaked up some of summer's blessings.  And you know what?  There's something really amazing about the timing here.   Looking back, I can see our Heavenly Father's guiding hand in leading me to keep the kids going through part of the summer.  GOD KNEW what was ahead for us and that we'd be starting school late. So in His wisdom, He led us to make up for the time we'd miss BEFOREHAND, so we'd not have to later. (smile:) 

Which leads me to the bigger reason for our delay.  Our precious daughter has had severe tonsillitis all summer, and after dragging her around to specialists,  a week ago it all culminated in her having to have a tonsilectomy.  She has been the bravest of souls, and against her every wish has drunk gallons of water and nearly everything else we've put in front of her face, even if it took two hours to finally swallow the full cup.  Even endured a few bites of jello and our son's delicious homemade ice cream, (who by the way, has lovingly kept his sister entertained while awake and has kept quiet while she sleeps :).   Yes, we are so proud of our daughter's determined and Christ-like spirit, never complaining one time.  AND regardless of how common and quick this type surgery is, it is also one of the most painful to recover from.  Especially when you are already seventeen.

So there you are.  Wish we were in school.  Wish my sweet daughter weren't in so much pain.  Wish my son and hubby weren't so worried about her.  And my "mother's heart" hurts.  But God understands.  He is right here with us, struggling through to the very end.  He'll always be here.  And He loves us.  He cares that our lives are on hold and that our daughter is having a really tough time.  He cares that her family is too, because we love her so much.

A very wise sister-in-law once told me something I am sure you have all heard before.  But coming from my husband's oldest sister, so caring and wise, I will never forget it.  "THIS TOO SHALL PASS".  Four simple words. 

We find them in God's Word, the Bible, and they are meant to be a comfort to us.  He didn't say we would never "fall down" in life.  But he did say He would be there to pick us up, quite like an earthly father would, when we fall and hurt ourselves. He did say He'd go with us through the trials we face.  When we have accepted God's free gift of salvation, forgiveness of sin through the sacrificial death of His only precious Son on a torturous cross, when we've done that, He gives us The Comfortor, His Holy Spirit Who endwells every believer in Christ Jesus. 

 And you know what?  Our family is once again on the receiving end of this supernatural comfort.  And oh, what a comfort He is!  Have you heard of what Philippians, chapter four, in God's Word calls "the peace that passes all understanding"?  It's real!  He is real.  And He is such a blessing to know and to trust!

Lately, this funny little tune pops into my head occasionally, a song of which I know only one phrase, but I can just hear that jazz-sounding, woeful voice as it belts out, "I've got the blu-u-u-u-ues"!  But you know what?  I'm reminded afresh that "this too shall pass", and that the beautiful BLUE sky with cotton-y white clouds and the birds in the trees, and the fact that our daughter is gradually improving and that her surgery was successful- is all so much bigger and better; and with a happy heart, I thank God for his bountiful...........UNENDING BLESSINGS!