“Well, if we are living in this house in five years he would go to such and such school and we could put him in the Bilingual program. Unless we decide that it would be better to homeschool. We could NEVER afford private school so that’s out… I mean, unless by some miracle we figured out how to make that work. Plus, we don’t know if I will go back to teaching or if we are going to have another kid. It would be really cool to work at the same school where my kids go. I don’t think I could ever homeschool though… I would get so BORED being at home all the time, but it would be really cool to play more of a key role in his education. Well, I will probably need to go back to work because of finances so we will just have to wait and see what happens.”
Do your minds work like this people? Tell me I’m not the only one.
Between then and now, I was offered what I consider to be amazing opportunities regarding career and family. I have been able to stay home part time with my kids for the past 5 years AND work part time in my field of education. Please understand that I treasure and deeply value making an investment in my kids by being with them during this season. I also go absolutely stir crazy when I am home for too long. I am always trying to get out of the house, to go and do, to make things happen. I also LOVE investing in other people and so it was pretty miraculous that I was able to do both. For two years I ran an after- school program in Harrisonburg City Public schools where I learned a ton about administration and program development. Then I was hired to teach art at Blue Ridge Christian School, which allowed me to teach two days a week and be home the other days.
Last fall, I thought I had the school thing figured out. I was going to continue teaching at Blue Ridge, Evan would attend Kindergarten there and Micah would go to preschool on the days I was teaching. Bam! Done. Decision made. Then Jonathan was offered that job in Manassas. Wait, What?
As I said in my last three posts, God had something different in mind and He wanted me to TRUST Him with it. He spoke to my heart with verses from Psalm 139:
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me…”
God knows us.
He knows us better then I we know ourselves. He knows what we need in each circumstance. I believe that He has a place in mind for me in my new community and in fact, that He has a place in mind for my sons as well.
Remember those prayers that I wrote in my journal at the start of 2015? The last one said:
"For a job for me that allows me to still be present with my boys. For a safe place for Micah that will help him to develop Godly character and for a school for Evan that meets his social and academic needs."
Here is what happened:
During the spring, before our move I did a little online research of both the private schools and public school systems in our new area. We knew that I was going to need to find a job, but it was still unclear whether that would need to be full or part time.
One of the schools that caught my attention was a little school called Covenant Christian Academy. I was intrigued by their model of schooling called a “University Model”: a combination of private and homeschooling. I put it on my list to give them a call at some point.
A couple weeks after moving Jonathan and I decided to visit a local church that we had found online. When we looked up the building’s location on GPS I noticed that Covenant Christian Academy was located just down the street from this church and mentioned to Jonathan that perhaps we could drive by after the service. At church that morning, one of the members was giving me a quick tour of the children’s facilities and mentioned that a school uses the church during the week. I realized that CCA was actually located at that church. I proceeded to share some of my story with this lady, about our move and my job search. Her response: “Oh, I’ll have to introduce you to the school’s director after the service. She is our worship leader.”
Long story short: I met the administrator of CCA that day, wrote a cover letter and sent my resume that afternoon, and received a call for an interview about a week later.
Now the story gets even more interesting… I was asked if I would like to interview for their 5th grade position. You know like the fifth grade class, the homeroom teacher. I have been a teacher for 10 years, but have never taught in the “regular” classroom. Even an interview would require a step in a brand new direction. Of course, I quickly responded, “Yes”.
I interviewed that day and was offered the job about a week later. In the meantime, I talked to some of my trusted mentors and colleagues… “Do you think I could do this?” My prayers were similar… “Could I really do this? Are You asking me to do this?”
If we are going to grow we have to expect that we will encounter challenging circumstances. I realized through this process that God didn't just want me to ‘move’. He wants me to grow. He brought me to a new place, home and community and laid before me a new task.
In the quiet of my heart, He asked me, “Do you want to remain the same, or do you want to grow?”
So starting in about a month I am going to be teaching fifth grade. I am also going to be homeschooling my oldest son. It’s amazing how much can change in one year.
Both boys will attend CCA (Evan in Kindergarten and Micah in Preschool) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the days that I will be teaching my fifth grade students. We will be doing the home-school thing on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Fridays the boys will come with me to school in the afternoon while I teach a couple elective classes: middle school yearbook and high school art (YAY!). On that day I will also have extra planning time while the boys are cared for at the school.
This summer as I am preparing my mind and my heart for a new season, I have continued to grow in both peace and excitement about the coming school year.
I know that I can be sure of a few things: everything will be new and challenging, but I am gaining the opportunity to grow both in my teaching career and as a mother. I get to play a role in the education of my sons and I am genuinely excited about that.
God prepared a place for me and every day I wake and say: "Thank You."
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
(Psalm 139 5-12)