Deep roots ... sweet fruit

Journaling.
I must have inherited the desire to write from my maternal gramma who has been with Jesus for almost 8 years. Receiving a letter from gramma was such a treat. She shared the news, the weather, prayer requests, health reports, missionary updates, and ended with "keep running the race" type encouragement.

It has been a long and winding road to our final decision to home educate our children. Our rising second grader has literally seen it all in his 7 years.
He's been "mommy-cared." He's been "daddy-cared". He's been day-cared. He's been home schooled. He's been public schooled. He's been charter schooled. He's been Sunday schooled.

Baby girl has been mostly "mommy-cared" with a little preschooled and Sunday schooled.

All along we have learned and grown and would not trade our experiences nor do we regret them. They have shaped us in order to "give the Lord the glory". But as we discover God's will for our family, we have decided home educating our two kiddos is the best choice.

But why? What made us decide to home school?
The answer is the same to other questions people ask our family.
What made you decide to move to this city?
What made you (Mama) decide to stop working full time and become a single income family?
What made you (Papa) decide to leave this large familiar church to do full time ministry at a small church?
Because we felt God calling us to do those things. It was our faith in God that made us decide.

God calls us each to different things at different times, all for his glory. It's our job to lean in and listen closely for His voice. As Psalm 1 says so beautifully, we should be like the tree that's planted by streams of water, which yields fruit, and does not wither but prospers. We have access to the living water Himself, revealed to us in God's word. As we dwell in Him, we yield.

I confess I don't always do this first, or perfectly. Many times I have listened to other voices shouting over His quiet stream inside.
In fact while preparing the curriculum for this fall, I felt so overwhelmed. While making ends meet this month I had serious doubts about our choice to home school. Wouldn't our family be better off financially if I went back to work full time? But this song "Way Beyond Me" by Toby Mac speaks to our situation, and others like it, perfectly. These bridge lyrics are my favorite...

 You take me to the place where I know I need You
Straight to the depths that I can't handle on my own
And Lord I know, I know I need You
So take me to Your great ...
Take me to Your great unknown

Home schooling is the great unknown. He knows, I don't! And it's not for everyone... There is truly only one "one size fits all" in life - and it's not school choice - it's Jesus. He sees us individually, knows our names, holds us accountable and equips us for individual jobs - for His glory. We're walking by faith through each day knowing He will take us to the places where we need Him and His glory will be all we can boast about!

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works 

which He prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

So here I am, a homeschooling mom of two, ready to get to work for the glory of God, resting in the promise that He has prepared the way!  What big thing has God called you to do, in faith?  What is He whispering to you, that is beyond your natural abilities? Therein lies the great adventure for the believer. To dive headfirst into His will is proof of deep roots and guaranteed sweet fruit!

His, Mama G