The Rewards of Saying Yes

Homeschooling is hard. It’s not like teaching my kids is hard, it’s that it takes up most of my mind and heart every single day so I don’t have time or energy for anything extra. Like making meals for moms who just had babies used to be something I did regularly. But after attempting to do this recently and feeling the strain of “getting it all done” made me quite ragey and miserable so… basically I know my mental load can only handle homeschool right now.

And that’s ok.

As I sat one day thinking and praying about whether taking this year to homeschool was worth it, whether saying no to pretty much any opportunity to serve outside of my own home was worth it, God broke through to my questioning heart with such clarity. He did it through my son, Joseph.

Joseph came into my room with his head held low and was sobbing. Immediately my heart knew-he finally finished Where the Red Fern Grows. I have watched him recall what he’s read to me with delight. I could see how much he cared for these characters. A little part of me was nervous for how much the ending would hurt him, but oh, how he was experiencing the holy purpose of a good book: to experience the highest calling of love and friendship through story.

And that he did. I just wrapped my arms around him and sobbed too. I felt like I got to know the characters through his recall narrations. We both mourned our friends together. I told him I knew how sad he was but that I was so proud of him. I told him it was a privilege to love these characters and it was an honor to mourn their loss.

Normally he would have finished a book in class, but not this year-I got to be a part of something special… because I said yes.

Listen for God’s voice. Be brave. Say Yes. Then Jump In to the River of the Holy Spirit. Let God take you on the adventure of a lifetime. It will be scary, thrilling at times, but you can’t imagine the reward.