Family Stories

Share Now

As I’ve told you before, I believe homeschooling parents are heroes and heroines. Just because you don’t feel like a heroine doesn’t mean you aren’t one. Heroes and heroines don’t stop and realize that is what they are.  They are too busy being ones.

One of the things I love most about participating in homeschool conventions is the opportunity to hear stories of you heroes and heroines. I leave encouraged by bravery and heroism.

Last week Ray and I got to spend a couple of days at home. Irises again welcomed us back to Tennessee.

At home! 056

When we left again, our drive was less than two hours away to the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association curriculum fair in Nashville. Back in 1999, MTHEA was the first homeschool fair ever for Notgrass Company. Last weekend was our 16th time to participate there. We enjoyed visits with homeschoolers we have known for years. We also enjoyed visits with homeschoolers we met for the first time. We were thankful to hear their stories.

For Ray and me, a weekend at a homeschool convention is like reading a book of short stories centered around one theme–parents loving their children and living that out in big decisions and in the little ones they make every day. Though the main theme is the same, individual stories vary greatly.

A weekend at a homeschool convention gives us a glimpse of the awesome power of the God of the universe. At a given time, He is not only taking care of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air–He is walking alongside the mother with fragile health and with the husband and children who love her. He is comforting the new widow and providing daily for the physical needs of her family. He is guiding the father who just got laid off and the one about to move his family cross-country to a new military post. He is watching over the mother about to give birth and the one who just had a hysterectomy. He is caring for the family taking their first baby steps in homeschooling and for the veteran homeschooling parents who are intimidated because their eldest has reached high school.

Sometimes homeschooling parents worry because challenges get in the way of plans, schedules, and curriculum. It’s hard to remember that children learn from the challenges in a family’s story and from the heroes and heroines who guide them through them.

But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
I will give You thanks forever,
because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name,
for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.
Psalm 52:8-9

Share Now

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *