Mrs. Homeschool

Lately, my husband and I have been examining our priorities.  What is more important to us: stuff or experiences?  Genuine relationships or having lots of “friends” on Facebook?  Spending time with our children or checking email 20 times a day?

Most of these questions are easy to answer and I am guessing that as you read each one, you naturally answered them in your head.  But do our lives truly reflect these priorities?  I have to confess that I struggle with walking away from the computer.  It’s easier to maintain a couple hundred friends on Facebook than it is to send a meaningful note to a friend who has been on my mind lately.  And it’s so much easier to check email than to get a snack for a fussy toddler.

As we have examined our priorities and tried to map out a plan for our family for the next 2-5 years, we have been considering many different opportunities that got us thinking about the importance we place on many things in our lives including, gasp, homeschooling!

WHAT???

As Christians, we call these priorities that gain too much importance “idols” and I’m confessing to you that, at times, homeschooling has been an “idol” in my life!  I define something as an idol when it becomes more important to me than something I feel God is calling me to do.  Ouch…that was a VERY difficult realization to come to, especially since I do believe that homeschooling IS the best educational choice for our family.

But once I acknowledged to my husband and to the Lord that homeschooling had become “all important” to me, the grip it had on my life suddenly loosened.  I realized that I have to TRUST that God knows what is best for my children and will work all things, even if He calls us out of homeschooling, to the good of our children, just like Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Is homeschooling an “idol” to you?  What about your co-op?  Or the lessons your children are enrolled in?  Or the huge collection of books in your home?

If your co-op or lessons or home library are a hindrance or excuse for not doing something you KNOW the Lord is telling you to do, aren’t they idols, too?  I’ve heard homeschool moms complain about taking their children to lessons and the money and time it costs them, but the children don’t even enjoy them.  And the conversations of families who just “can’t part” with their most prized possessions…their books…even though they’ve been called to travel full time or get involved with mission work.

Please don’t get me wrong…  None of these things is inherently wrong.  In fact, many of the things we do can be true blessings to others.  The problems lie in the inappropriate level of importance we place on these things or actions or groups.  When something gets in the way of my relationship with God, that “something” has got to be put back in a proper place.

For our family, we’ve been purging…serious purging…and you may be surprised, but our children are now coming up to us and telling us they want to get rid of huge collections of their toys!  Even though they still ask for something every time we go to Target, I think they are beginning to see that “stuff” or activities don’t offer the fulfillment that having meaningful relationships within our family, our church and with our God does. 

Our “stuff” has become such a burden to us…we have to maintain it, clean it, keep it organized.  I’m certain that the fact we’re moving soon helps re-evaluate how many possessions we need to have to be “comfortable” or “happy”.  But the good news is that I think our children are starting to loosen their grips on needing more and more stuff to be happy.

Are there other idols or out of place priorities in your life?  If you think you are the only one struggling with them, you’re wrong.  Take time to examine what is really important and then figure out where all those “extras” fit in.  You just might be amazed by how freeing it is to let some things go.

What are your thoughts?  Do you see any other idols I missed?  Do you totally disagree?  Have you struggled with letting go of homeschooling some of your children, even though you knew it was the right decision?  Share your thoughts in the comments here where all opinions are welcome…just don’t get ugly, please! :o)