Homeschooling. Why bother?

Homeschooling.

A huge, all encompassing, life-changing endeavor.  Often it means the family has to live on reduced income, rendering the family's life style far different than that of friends and relatives.  It can be lonely, in many respects.  Some people will never stop questioning.  And many will "quiz" your kids, possibly without your knowledge, trying to decide if they're learning anything.

Why bother?  And how do you help your husband understand why it might be important?  Try this website.  Statistics clearly show how difficult it is for students to remain faithful to Jesus after leaving the public school system, as young adults.  Teachers are liberal, for the most part. The exact percentage will vary of course, depending on which area of the country you're in.  Education is indoctrination to a large extent, although it's distasteful to think of it that way.

I taught first grade in the northern part of San Bernardino County (CA), which happens to have a large percentage of born-again Christians.  The teaching staff at my school included a lot of Christians, who helped lead me to God, resulting in my becoming a Christian in my fifth year of teaching.  God can orchestrate amazing things, no matter where we live.  GOD IS GOD--always bigger than the most hopeless-seeming circumstance!

Anyhow, I spent five minutes telling my husband about the statistics I learned from the above site, and he was strongly convicted, as the spiritual leader of our home.  He remains extremely committed to our homeschooling endeavor.

It isn't for everyone.  And I do think--and statistics back this up--that if a father is acting as the spiritual leader of a home, than it is far more likely the children will follow Jesus when they are on their own, regardless of where they went to school.  The father's spiritual lead is the most important thing.  It can take many forms, but mainly the father needs to spend time weekly (not necessarily daily) teaching his children about Jesus.  Spending this time, and leading family prayer, drives home to the children that Dad is a man of God.  That real men do love Jesus.

Often mothers are more spiritual by nature, but when Dad demonstrates that nothing is more important than God, it can mean all the difference later, when the children are in the world.  Being in the world too early doesn't equip children to solidify their belief system, or develop a personal relationship with God.  It dilutes the good that home and church are doing, in those early years.  Dad and Mom have to then work much harder to drive home, and live out, spiritual truths--all with a time crunch, because there are so few hours at home before bedtime.

If the mother is the only believer in the home, and Dad is against homeschooling, Jesus can apply grace to that mother, and to those children.  And Mom's fervent, unceasing prayers can change things, despite what the statistics state.  The Bible tells us that her respect for her husband, and her godly character, will win over her husband's heart. (1 Peter 3:1-4.  Click on the red to see this verse.) In this, as in all other things, "trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding".

Amy has a post up about homeschooling today, which prompted me to sit down and pound the keys, in the middle of the school day even.  Nothing is more important than the salvation of our children.  Nothing.  Don't wait for the know how.  Go forward with faith.  God will do the rest.  Really.  Trust me on that.

If you have come to a different conclusion in your own life, don't be offended by this post.  God certainly might have reason for your children to be in public school.  Trust what He is telling you.