My Call to Homeschool

sometime post-Easter, 2005

It's the middle of the day, I'm home alone in the living room, and I'm praying the Rosary. A beautiful meditation on the life of Christ through the heart of His mother.

I'm discerning whether God is calling me to homeschool the kids.  The whole idea of homeschooling has been put in my path over the last two weeks and I'm intrigued.  Can't get it off my mind. So I pray. Lord, is this what you want me to do?

And then, He whispers.  It's a part of a verse from Scripture, Luke 12:48.  I think He uses this one alot because I've heard and read of lots of people who were inspired by it.

"... And to whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required." 

I looked around at my big beautiful house and thought about how much I have been given. How much I have been blessed with.  Like, in excess. And not just the material things, but the immaterial as well.  Health. Literacy. Safety. Freedoms. Fairly sane extended family :).

OK then, that's an affirmative from the Lord. Homeschooling, here we come. Really?

ok i'm in i'm in i'm ALL in!!!  but Lord, me, are you sure, part of me is sooo excited but i'm also realllllly worried seriously how can you entrust me with this awesome responsibility i have zero patience at the best of times ok i can do the academic stuff but what will my family think they'll think i'm a lunatic a crazy catholic lunatic also D will be starting school full-time come the fall and  i was planning on really getting some me-time with both the kids in school, you know, to do stuff, so really Lord, me, are you sure? on the other hand I feel like running out into the street and shouting about it its so amazing and i think i might be good at it so, Lord, are you sure? and oh the thrill, the thrill of knowing that God has something awesome in mind for my kids and for me, He's got a plan and i wonder what it is whatever it is He wants the majority of their formation to occur at home ... at home???

I went out and bought a Math program. There is no sense in resisting the will of God.

Oh, and I also told God respectfully requested that He please work on my husband's heart to help him support me in this venture cause it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Who chooses to be in a minority group?

Then I researched what spelling program to use.

And I couldn't wait to get my daughter out of the school system.  Couldn't wait couldn't wait couldn't wait!!!!   By the time you decide to homeschool, you see everything through different eyes.  I had to attend her school's "talent show" and was completely appalled.  The "talent" included grade 5 girls "dancing" to a Hilary Duff song with lyrics that repulsed me, made me want to puke, something consisting of  "you ask me why I gotta play so hard to get, you ask me to play it cool not to make you sweat ... that's what girls do"  It made me ill as I watched teachers and parents alike bobbing their heads to the beat in approval.  You guys approve of your 10-yr-olds dancing to this crap on a stage and then you are calling it talent? This is socialization????  My 7-yr-old is supposed to look up to these girls?  And I would have said something to the principal, too, had I not won the doorprize.

Instead, I waited out the last month and a half of school and was never so happy than the day I told the principal we were outa there.

"... And to whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required." 

What is God asking of you these days?