What you are doing matters. All of the planning, all the work, all the struggle, all the sleepless nights. . .All of it is giving your kids the opportunity to know what it is to love learning, to be loved in a family day-in/day-out, to learn without fears of physical abuse or bullying, to learn all subjects in relationship to God. They can experience freedom to pursue what is interesting to them in ways that few students in regular classes will know, they can apprentice and intern as they become teenagers, they can start their own business or start college at home. When you homeschool your kids, the sky’s the limit!

So, even if your homeschool feels like a 3-ring circus sometimes (and it will), don’t lose your perspective on what you’re really doing. Write down the successes you’ve seen in your kids recently, things like:

• making the bed;
• reading a book all the way through;
• helping a sibling who’s upset;
• getting multiplication facts (YAY!);
• asking a heart-felt question about heaven;
• remembering to say “Please” and “Thank you”;
• auditioning for the homeschool band;
• and all of the other “little” things that have been taking place.

Once you’ve written them down, read through them. Again. And again. Of course you have more to do, but look how far they’ve come!

I’ve learned that when we think things are hopeless, it grieves and crushes our hearts, making it very difficult to try again. That’s a VERY hard place to be in, and, usually, it’s not true. Usually, we have problems to solve, things to fix, steps to take, and it takes time to do these things—about 18 years when it comes to homeschooling.

On the other hand, when we have hope, when we trust that God is working all things together for good in our lives and in the lives of our children, we find inside of our hearts a fresh anticipation for the next step, the new adventure. Yes, we need to solve problems, fix what’s broken, and continue to walk forward—but it’s got life in it, promise of good things to come.

Remember, dear friends, stay relational!