How Is Your Walk of Faith?
“How is your walk of faith going?” These words were spoken to me by a coworker when I was employed at a deli during my college years. My coworker was a Christian who knew I was reading through the entire Bible for the first time in my life. Twenty-five years later, this question is still an important one for me, especially as a parent and teacher.
Homeschooling is definitely a walk of faith. It’s a path that requires dependence on God’s grace to show the way and provide the resources a family requires. Hebrews 11:8 tells us, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” At God’s calling, Abraham set off on a journey without knowing all the details, but he knew that he could trust God. Likewise, at the beginning of our homeschooling journey with my son, I wasn’t sure of many things—including myself—or how it would all work out, but Scripture told me that I could trust God.
In our homeschooling journey, we experienced both mountaintops and valleys along the way. The mountaintops include plays I wrote for the kids in my homeschool group, who had such fun together. I still laugh when I think about the Bach costume my son wore with a wig made out of cotton balls! Some of our valleys included surgeries for both my husband and me and various illnesses when our son was younger. Some days it was a struggle just to get through the basics. These were days that stretched our faith as we realized that even though we didn’t understand everything that was happening, even though we couldn’t see the whole picture, God knows everything. We chose to trust that God was using both our peaks and valleys to prepare our son for his future.
I don’t know any parent who believes that homeschooling is always easy, but most will tell you it’s worth the struggle when we see our children’s heart knit closer to the Lord’s every day. Scripture reminds us, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4–5, NKJV).
As I reflect on this journey, this walk of faith we call homeschooling, I am reminded of when the apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
Let that be our prayer as well: Yes, Lord, increase our faith and the faith of our children. Give us the strength, wisdom, and discernment to train and teach each child for your glory and to keep every one of them holy and separate unto you!
How is your walk of faith going?
Dr. Marci Hanks
Marci discovered her love of learning and teaching when she was a teaching assistant working on her Master of Science degree at UCLA. After she graduated, she taught middle school Science and English and high school Science and Algebra. Marci earned her Doctorate in Education. She enjoys teaching students study skills that will help them be successful in high school and college. She is an Apologia Online Academy teacher. Marci lives in Florida with her husband and her high-school-aged son whom she homeschools. Marci has been active in her homeschool groups and has held many positions including, President, Field Trip Coordinator, Event Planner, Website Designer, and Writing Workshop Instructor. Marci has published articles in The Old Schoolhouse, a Christian magazine that seeks to help strengthen homeschooling families as they impact their world for Christ.
If you enjoyed reading this, please consider reading these for more encouragement on your homeschool journey, Plan Your Homeschool Year with These 5 Questions and Habakkuk 1:5 Devotional, God at Work.