Heartcry to Homeschool

by Lisa R Preston

When we come to school, we end up giving the best 7 hours of our day, the best of us as far as energy and alertness goes, all of that energy is invested in a profession that will chew us up and spits us out, that will always demand more until we have nothing left to give. And we’re investing the best part of who we are in children who may never remember our names.

(Now, I’m not saying that these children don’t need ministry. But I question the idea that folks should give away the best part of who they are at the expense of their own children.)

I long to see parents giving the very best of who they are to their children. Not only for their children’s sakes, but for the blessing to themselves as well.

I will never ever forget a young fellow in our community named Jarrett. He met cancer at age two, and as a result, spent time being instructed at home. At the ripe old age of 13, Jarrett went to meet God.

I just keep thinking - his parents have not one more day to touch his face. There’s not another day that they can hold him close -that they hear his laughter and the sound of “I love you,” Tell me they wish he’d been in public school 7 hrs a day.

No. They will never ever regret having him home for those extra hours. Life is so short. We don’t know when our children will go, we don’t know when we will go.

And so to be home in that lovely ministry of sharing God’s Word as our children rise, as they go about their day, as they go to bed at night – helping these precious, precious gifts store up God’s Word in their hearts and walk in the way that leads to freedom. What a ministry!

What a joy that is to a parent’s heart as well as to the child’s!

And in this day of fast-this, convenience-that–even church becomes a time not of intimate fellowship –but…what we call small group “intimate” fellowship often ends up being everyone sitting around sharing problems, somebody prays and we all go home. There’s no real connection made with people –no real love that is shared. We are a society absent from community. We are a culture that doesn’t even recognize the benefits of spending
lots of time with and nurturing our own children.

We are disintegrating day by day – Christians as well as non-Christians. And it is a message of strength and hope that a parent would say, “You know, I want my children with me. I want them holding my hand along this journey of life –not their peers’ hands.”

One friend said to me, “Well, I don’t know if I’d want to homeschool, because it wouldn’t leave me any time for ministry.”

While Paul says… some plant, some water, and some reap the harvest, our usual interpretation of ministry is one person preaching to a congregation and people going to the altar. I have been ministered to a million times by that kind of ministry. But rarely has a person taken me by the hand and said, “I’m not letting go until we reach the next step. I am holding on to you. I believe in you, I will listen to you, and I will love you no matter what.” That’s powerful ministry. And you can’t do it to a hundred people!

What greater blessing to be able to give all of that listening, mentoring, love, challenge, –holding the hand and never letting go– to our children. How devastating not to give them that. Time is so important. And if “all you do” is raise your children to be godly, to love Christ with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength, YOU have had an awesome ministry. What greater blessing for a mother than to have the time to gently instruct her children in the ways of God.

You can’t hurry that. True discipleship and commitment aren’t “convenient”. They take time and depth.

The beauty of homeschooling is that it allows time for that commitment in a less-stressed, slower paced atmosphere. The awesome sense of connection we’ll have with our children will be worth any sacrifice we make.

And the blessings will last a lifetime.

Home School Organization

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