I never planned to homeschool, much less leave my job. I worked hard to earn my college degree and was still paying my student loans. I barely had enough strength and patience to accomplish the current responsibilities of raising children—the morning routine to launch kids to school followed by the afternoon of homework, preparing dinner, then the nightly bedtime routine. How could I even entertain the idea of having them home 24/7?
Nope. This world wasn’t going to be my world. No, thank you. I would rather pay others to educate my children and keep my job.
Titles Were My Idols
So, what happened to me is nothing short of a miracle—God got a hold of my heart and transformed my mind. God challenged me to trust Him and let go of the things in this world I dearly treasured. What I cherished most was proving my worth to the world. I wanted a stacked bank account with titles in front of my name and abbreviated letters behind it. Titles were my idols. I needed to feel important, look important, and sound important. I needed a nice house with nice things inside.
The Career vs. Caregiver Dilemma
Recently, I was a guest on the Blessings and Motherhood podcast hosted by Delise Germond and Ginny Tran. They invited me to discuss the “Career vs. Caregiver Dilemma,” the tension moms feel between wanting to work a job and wanting to parent their children well.
During our conversation, I had the opportunity to reflect on the decisions I faced years ago and the consequences of my choices. I am reminded of the theme in Challenge III that all choices bring consequences. Consequences aren’t necessarily negative, just a result of an action. Here are the choices I faced:
- Should I homeschool?
- If I homeschool, will I have to quit my job?
- Could I homeschool with a full-time job?
- Is there a compromise? Can I work part-time and homeschool?
My mind was swimming—no, drowning with doubt. How would I balance all the responsibilities? Was I equipped to educate my children without an education degree? Would I be less of a mom if I tried to do both?
Time to Put Faith to Work
I was relieved to discover I wasn’t alone in these thoughts. I was comforted when the Holy Spirit reminded me that no matter my choice, the Father would never leave or forsake me.
Because of this promise, I didn’t allow the “mommy guilt” to drive my decision. I sought the Lord and His sword, the Word. He reminded me of Moses and how he left his prestigious position, led two million Israelites across the wilderness for 40 years, and provided for their every need.
If the Lord could do that for Moses, He could equip me to homeschool two children through high school. If I believed He was Jehovah Jireh, “God will provide,” then if I quit my job, I would trust that He would provide for our family’s needs.
It was time to put my faith to work. I let go and let God. By letting go, I could dedicate the time and energy required to the beautiful adventure of home education.
The decision to homeschool and quit my job opened opportunities for me to use my gifts and talents to tutor in a Classical Conversations® community. I learned alongside my children and earned income to help offset homeschooling expenses.
As the journey continued, I discovered the promises of God as He exchanged beauty for ashes. I had more opportunities to step into leadership roles (Director, Local Representative, Area Representative). I was helping equip and encourage other families starting their homeschool journey. And you know what? My Jehovah Jireh did provide. In the Lord’s providence, not long after I quit my job, my husband got a promotion.
Doubts in the Decision
Was it comfortable with losing a household income? No! Was it easy learning how to homeschool my kids? No! Were there times I wanted to give up, send them back to school, and start working again? Yes!
Moses and the Israelites experienced similar doubts and, at times, wanted to go back—but God! Always remember—but God!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
– Philippians 4:13
Should you leave your job to homeschool? Well, that is between you and God. His loving kindness will always lead you down His personalized path for you. I can only testify how my obedience to quit my job to homeschool led me through the process of sanctification. I learned to let go and trust Him for every need.
Choices Bring Consequences
I am thrilled to report that my children thrived, and I survived! They are both graduates of Classical Conversations and have successfully launched from our home. What’s more, the Lord blessed me with a career working for Classical Conversations as the communications manager in the Marketing Department. I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that dying to my career years ago would have led me to pen these words for you to read today.
Give God whatever you hold tightly to and see what happens when you let it go!
Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.
