The End of the Journey

While many families are winding down for this school year and anxiously awaiting the summer break, this month will be different for me. My winding down comes with a bittersweet-emotion, one that is hard to put into words. My homeschooling break will now not just be summer, but in a sense, permanent. After homeschooling 3 boys for almost 20 years, my last will graduate this month. The homeschooling journey has come to an end.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “journey” as a passage from one place to another. As I reflect on the early years – my children and I were in a place. I was new to homeschooling – they were new to learning. We began moving in a direction. I moved toward learning how to best instruct them, they moved toward learning what was being instructed. We faced paths that had choices whether to go in one direction or the other. Sometimes we just had to turn around and go back and start over. Other days our roads continued on with few curves here and there. We had smalls hills to cross and large mountains to climb. We faced stormy weather, fierce winds, and calm days. But here we are. We have reached that final destination – that “place” we set out to get to. We’ve made it. I’m no longer new to homeschooling – I’m looked at as a “veteran homeschooling mom” now. They, in a sense, are still learning, but now have some experience that no longer makes learning a “new” concept. This journey has ended.

I’m full of emotion as I write – you will be too someday. The feelings of success and accomplishment are a moment of happiness and relief! The feelings of having all grown children are brought with wonder and disbelief as I try to recall where the last 20 years have gone. But there has been a constant, sustaining source of power that has carried all of us on that journey – the Lord! Academics are a big part of the homeschooling journey, but HE has been bigger! He has given the grace, sustenance, ability, longsuffering, and love needed to make this journey a success! If someone were to ask, “How did you do it? What is the secret to your success?” My answer would simply be – it’s because of Him!

Are you making the Lord a part of your homeschooling journey? Struggles, trials, and testings are going to come, but you can make it through with Him! Success, blessings, and honor will also come – but they also are because of Him – working through you! Where are you in your journey and are you allowing Him to be an everyday part of it? “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

Jodi has been with TOS since April 2016. She serves as the Human Resource and Operations Assistant. She is also the Homeschooling with Heart blog manager and writes for The Homeschool Minute. Jodi is a pastor’s wife and has 3 boys. She has homeschooled for 18 years and also taught in the private and public-school settings. Jodi enjoys teaching, playing the piano, scrapbooking, and making cards. Her heart’s desire is to help others learn to enjoy these things as well! jriddle@theoldschoolhouse.com