One of the delights of this post-homeschooling mother/teacher is having the opportunity to counsel and mentor women who've undertaken the God-ordained task of raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Most of my sessions take place over Skype. I choose to make them audio rather than video calls so that neither party has to be too concerned with how the surroundings look, nor how groomed we are. Voice-to-voice is more genuine in my estimation, and removes some of the impediments to telling it like it is.
Many of the women I deal with are hard-working and diligent, but often concerned that they aren't measuring up to what a homeschooling mother should be. I well remember those seasons of doubt, which usually occurred when I felt that I had no time to give ample attention to possible course corrections. Life continues and so must I was the mantra that often ran through my head. Thankfully, there were godly, older women with perspectives that helped me through the difficult times and directed me toward remedies for some of issues I faced in my marriage and with my children.
Now, many years later, with experience, results, and maturation, I look back on those times as when I earned my stripes and became a wise woman. Just to clarify, a wise woman is not someone who knows all the answers; a wise woman is one who knows how to ask the correct questions. A wise woman is not one who has no problems in her life; a wise woman is one who knows the first stop is prayer and begging the Lord's assistance. A wise woman is not someone without inconsistencies in her life; a wise woman understands that she needs outside counsel to help her identify areas where her practice of faith doesn't match her confession of faith.
As I told one of my mentorees recently, "I don't really know when it happened, but somewhere along the line I became a wise woman." That's not arrogance or cockiness at work, but a revelation that I have moved up the ranks in God's Kingdom so that there is much more required of me thanks to the life experiences I've had. Now, more than ever, I find myself eager to read and learn and then apply this new information within a framework and context of God's Holy Word.
Retirement now that homeschooling is over for me? Hardly. In many ways, I think I'm just getting started!
[Note: Visit my website: The Kingdom Driven Family to schedule a time if you'd like to chat.]
- Andrea G. Schwartz
Andrea Schwartz is Chalcedon’s family and Christian education advocate, and the author of eight books including: A House for God: Building a Kingdom-Driven Family, The Biblical Trustee Family: Understanding God’s Purpose for Your Household, Empowered: Developing Strong Women for Kingdom Service, Woman of the House: A Mother’s Role in Building a Christian Culture, and The Homeschool Life: Discovering God’s Way to Family-Based Education. She’s also the co-host of the Out of the Question podcast, the Chalcedon podcast, and has an active teaching schedule with women and high schooled students.. She can be reached at [email protected].