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The biggest lesson I have learned in life is that you can't thwart God. Although my husband and I wanted children, we never intended to adopt. We became foster parents in order to share our love with other babies while waiting for the miracle of birth to occur for us. God led us down the path to adoption, and now we have two precious children that were placed with us right from the hospital! Our initial stance against adoption did not thwart God at all. Then when the children became school-age, we looked at their needs and decided that they could be met best by homeschooling. I had completed two years of home education when my husband decided he didn't want to be a family man any longer. I thought his leaving meant I couldn't homeschool our children any more, although I was sure that was God's plan for them. Why was I surprised when the Lord answered my prayers, dropped work into my lap, and allowed me to continue with homeschooling? Even something as big as abandonment didn't thwart God's plan for my children! When I have been in despair, God has supplied my needs of strength, encouragement, and an occasional miracle.  

By the way, I am not the only single parent homeschooler that exists in America! When God calls a single parent to homeschool their children, He provides a way for him or her to accomplish the task. Parenting your children alone is tiring. Add homeschooling and earning income to the mix, and you have a recipe for burnout. To prevent burnout and stay motivated, you have to take time for yourself. There are two online support groups specifically for single parent homeschoolers. One can be found at http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/singleparent/index.html and the other is at http://pub39.ezboard.com/bsouthsideofthemoon . At each site single parents vent their frustrations, seek and give advice, post prayer requests and praises, and share the joys of educating their children at home. Each family has a different schedule, and each parent has a different way to earn income and a different way to de-stress after a hard day. Each person has his or her children's best interests at heart. (Yes, there are single, male homeschoolers out there, too!) It is exciting to read the stories of the many ways God has answered prayers and met the needs of the single homeschooling parent. 

Even two-parent families have struggles. If you have needs, whether you are single or not, be encouraged by my testimony. Whenever I cry out to God about burdens that seem too huge to handle, He takes over. Sometimes the answer comes the very next morning; sometimes not. It all happens in His perfect timing. What kinds of things has the Lord done for me? For starters, after my prodigal husband left me without transportation, someone at church gave me the minivan I now drive. My dream job of writing for a living was an amazing gift from God as well; these jobs found me rather than my finding them, and I can write at night after the children go to sleep. Over the years I have received anonymous gifts of cash and groceries, a vacuum, a washing machine, and a brand new computer! I did not ask for any of these things! When my washing machine malfunctioned, I asked a deacon to check it. He looked at it and said, "I think we can find you a new one. This one is not worth repairing." Two weeks later he delivered a wonderful, pre-owned one! The computer came after I mentioned in an E-mail to a client that my old one was dying, and that I was going to have to shop for a new one. I didn't tell him that I couldn't afford a new machine just yet. I was shocked when he called to say that he was sending me a computer in appreciation for all my hard work! This is someone for whose company I do online research and writing; we have never met in person. Here I was, getting a headache trying to figure out how much work it would take to earn the money for a new machine, and God had the problem solved in a matter of minutes. He promises to supply all our needs. All we have to do is believe. 

Regarding home education, don't let fear stop you. You can't ruin your child's future in one year of homeschooling. Take it one year at a time. When God calls you to homeschool, He has a reason for it. Honor Him by studying the Bible with your children. In my family we don't delve into math or language arts until we have had our family devotions. If my children grow up to become math wizards and English scholars but do not know Jesus personally, then I will have failed miserably. Yes, academics are important; cover all the required subjects and enjoy each new achievement, but our ultimate concern should not be with their earthly future, but with our children's future in eternity. 

To encourage you and relieve some of the self-placed burdens from your shoulders, I'll let you in on a little secret about home education: You don't have to do EVERYTHING that's in the teacher's manual. Even traditional school teachers don't do it all! Be flexible, be creative, have fun! Relax; believe that your child will eventually "get it."Your child is an individual, not a robot awaiting programming. Don't compare your child to others! Remember, you can't thwart God! If He has called you into homeschooling, rise to the challenge with boldness. Blessings await you!

Copyright 2003 by Brenda B. Covert