For a homeschooling family, the beginning of a new school year can feel DAUNTING! After the boxes of new curriculum arrive and the excitement fades, you spread the books and lessons out and realize how much you are supposed to get through all of that in the next 9-10 months! I don’t know about you, but for us, it can feel nothing short of OVERWHELMING! Additionally, based on the number of children you are homeschooling, that overwhelming feeling can easily get compounded.
When my wife, Amy, and I first started homeschooling, our friends would try to encourage us by saying, “It will be alright, God will fill in the gaps.” If I’m being honest, we didn’t completely understand what that even meant. What kind of gaps were they referring to? However, it didn’t take long before we knew what they meant by “gaps.”
For instance, I was deployed one year, and my wife and kids went to stay with her parents in Tennessee for extra support. That year did not go as planned and not nearly as much schooling occurred as we had hoped. Consequently, something even better happened. Our kids made amazing connections with their grandparents; and to this day, Olivia and Darin will talk on the phone with their grandparents for half an hour or more just catching up like old friends do.
Additionally, the history curriculum we chose for that school year was not a great fit. The curriculum was very dry and boring, and the kids were having a hard time getting through it. This was another area that God helped “fill in the gaps.” Amy recalled we had been given some animated DVDs about American History. Sure enough, the whole family loved watching this series and our kids learned American history as they drove across the country back to California. Please understand, I’m not saying cartoons can compare to reading a great historical biography. However, in that season of life with the kids ages being so young, it was a great way to keep everyone entertained (and educated) during the cross-country drive.
When I say “God will fill in the gaps,” I’m not using it as an excuse to evade the hard work of teaching our children. I believe Colossians 3:23 should ring true in every area of our lives, we should heartily and earnestly homeschool our children as unto the Lord. However, I also know sometimes life happens and subjects don’t always get the attention they require. I have seen God fill in those “gaps” and bolster those weaker subjects on multiple occasions and believe He can do the same for you and your family. So don’t let your heart be troubled…or overwhelmed….ask for help and advice and give God a chance to fill in the gaps.
by Marc Crawford, HCS Board Chairman