I’m a reflective sort of girl. There are different times of the year when I become even more so. When a new year begins, Easter, my birthday <ahem>, and the start of the new homeschooling year are among them. As Ben nears the end of his homeschooling journey, I’m thinking a lot about what homeschooling has meant to me . . . and to him. While I’m sincerely focused on planning a productive last 2 years to fill with his transcript with every opportunity in learning and service possible, I’m also keenly aware that the lessons we’ve learned over the past 11 years won’t likely be obvious on that transcript.
I remember the day I decided that we should homeschool. A precocious 3-year-old Ben had asked to learn how to read. After just a couple of weeks of some basic instruction in how to string together CVC words together and watching the infamous Leap Frog videos, he was pouring through BOB books at an amazing pace. By the time he turned 4, he was reading everything in sight, including simple chapter books. I just knew he was a genius child.
He was also busy, distracted, and a constant talker. I imagined him in kindergarten, bored to tears and not able to sit still or be quiet. Homeschooling would be our answer. I quickly decided that in an instant and began the research.
If we look at how Jesus made disciples, we have the perfect model for how we can do the same with our children, and easily see that homeschooling is the best vehicle for this training. Let’s take a look at Jesus’ training of His disciples and how those principles apply to our homeschooling.
Homeschooling grants us more time to teach our children about God.
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
Homeschooling allows our kids to be who God created them to be.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2)
Homeschooling allows us to make sure our lambs are fully trained disciples before going out among the wolves.
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:1-3)
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
When we finish our homeschool journey, will Ben not only be ready for life in the real world (military service, college, the work force, marriage, family, etc.), will he also be a sold-out disciple for Jesus?