Let Go and Let God

Surviving the Path You Never Thought You'd Walk

It has been just over a year now that we have stopped homeschooling the kids. Chris and Laura are about to complete their first full year of public school. Joshua just had his award ceremony today from his year of homeschool with one of my closest friends.

This is not the path I would have chosen for myself. I had dreams of homeschooling the kids through high school, but as my health kept taking turns for the worse I knew I was left with little other choice than to put the kids in school. I needed help. I had to admit my weakness. I had to trust that God was still sovreign and this was a time in my life where my kids needed more than I could give them and I needed time to rest and heal without the demands of homeschooling.

Still, this is a path I never dreamed I would walk...but here I am, and I have survived!! The kids have survived!! And we have "miles to go before we sleep" as far as this journey to health goes...but we are marching FORWARD and ONWARD!

As I have been looking at the achievement awards the kids have been bringing home from school and realizing how well they did, I thought back to a poem I had memorized as a child called Broken Dreams:

As children bring their broken toys

With tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God

Because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving Him

In peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help

With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,

"How could you be so slow?"

"My child," He said, "what could I do? You never did let go."

For the first time I realized.... I DID IT!! I LET GO!!!

I let go of the idea that I was less of a mom if someone else taught my children. I let go of the idea that my kids were not capable of dealing with the public school arena. Then I fully grasped hold of the truth of God's Word, "Wherever you go, there I am with you." I have been simply amazed with the results of letting go and simply trusting God to watch over my children through our current circumstances.

Just this week, Chris and Laura sat in the living room floor as we went through my back pack (still packed) from when I went to CFNI. They were wanting to read some of the assigned books from the Creation Science class I had taken because they wanted to be able to have a deeper conversation of the origins of the earth with their science teachers. These are kids who have owned their own faith and are actively looking for ways to share it in their school environment in a respectful way.

Since the kids have gone to public school we have met our neighbors! Our house has become a magnet for every kid in the neighborhood. One kid walked through the house the other day and said "HI MOM!" and I had to do a double take! Wait a minute! I did not give birth to that kid! So aparantly our family has been adopted as the house to hang out and play. This never would have happened when we homeschooled. In fact I could have told you 10 ways to Sunday how those hoodlums were going to hell in a handbasket and I would not have them being a bad influence on my kids...God forgive me!

But you see, I let go and let GOD! I have 3 kids but on any given youth night or 5th quarter party I am loading up my van with 8 kids...5 extra who want to go to church with us! Brad got a call from one of the kid's parents last week asking us about information about our church and they are planning on coming to visit too. I am watching my children mature into their faith and take an active role of evangelism that they never had to before...and I am learning that those little neighborhood hoodlums really have some issues but more than anything they just want to be with a FAMILY. I am not sure all the details of all their lives...but each day we learn a little more...and we pray a little more...because we were willing to let go and let God. We were willing to travel a road we said we'd never walk. Never say never!

So I must brag on my children and all they have accomplished their first full year without mom as their teacher. I am so proud of them I could bust! I know that those 8 years of homeschooling were very foundational to who they are and now I am so excited to see them fly on their own as they grow and mature into wonderful young adults!

Christopher, age 14, earned the Outstanding Student in History Award this year. This really came as no suprise to us from the kid who read a full length novel on Sgt York when he was in 4th grade...300+ pages. This is the same child who wanted to talk to Colin Powell during the 911 attacks and explain what type of strategical plans needed to be made to effectively launch attack on the enemy! Yes...he has always been a history buff!


Joshua did amazingly well with "Mrs Leslie" this year. You know you have a true friend when they volunteer to make the commitment to homeschool your child for you when you are too sick to do it yourself! Joshua flourished like a flower under Mrs Leslie's teaching this year. Josh got awards this year for Outstanding Student in Spelling and Major Strides in Multiplication! I'd have been lost without her! We tried putting Josh in school last year but it was not working out for the school or for us. But it is amazing to see how far he has come this year with Leslie. It did my heart wonders to have her take my son in and treat him like one of her own, all the while I had another "friend" who told me how I had abdicated my responsibility as a parent. After struggling with this illness, I tell you which one I call FRIEND!! It is one thing to recognize a friend's need, it is a whole different thing to WALK THROUGH THE NEED WITH THEM and be part of the SOLUTION TO THE NEED!

You will have to wait for pictures for Laura for next weekend. We just got the letter that she was accepted into the National Junior Honor Society for excellence in academics, character, leadership and service. She is going on a trip to Six Flags with her choir tomorrow. This is their end of the year celebration for making a 2 in UIL competition this year!

You will never know the full beauty of a bird while it cuddles in your hand. You only see its full MAJESTY when it flies!!!

My babies....they are flying!! And it is beautiful to behold!!

Now excuse me while I go find a kleenex! LOL!

Dawn