Being a home-schooling Dad gives me an interesting perspective on things. While my wife is diligently and meticulously involved in the daily minutia of planning, administering and actually performing the teaching function in our home, I have the luxury (and I say this somewhat shamefully) of being able to step back and look at the process from more of a "big picture" perspective. Unfettered as I am from the day to day concerns which consume so much of my wife's time, I am able to see and sense and feel what is happening on the periphery. From this vantage point I have noticed a few things.

Primarily I have noticed that most homeschooling Moms (and Dads, if they are the primary educator in the family) feel undervalued, under-appreciated, and overwhelmed. Many of you can relate to Elijah in feeling as though you are the last human being on the face of the earth who is doing this incredibly difficult task of educating your children. Not only that, but you also probably feel as though you are constantly on the brink of extinction in a world that is less than friendly to homeschooling families. So what do you do for encouragement? Well, sometimes you attend seminars and conventions hoping to learn from the "experts" thus reviving your poor tired soul and giving you the strength to carry on for another year. Unfortunately more often than not the seminar speakers are so enthused about their subject that you leave feeling even more overwhelmed than before. You thought you were doing pretty well, but now you wonder if little Sarah will ever learn how to read Plato in the original Greek. And that's the important thing, isn't it?

If you find yourself feeling this way, I would like to speak a word of encouragement. Know this: God is not in the earthquake. God is not in the fire. God, my friend, is in the silence.

I suppose it is a valuable thing to read Latin or Greek fluently. I can also see great benefit in having read most if not all of the recommended "Great Books". To be honest, however, I would rather spend a lazy summer afternoon in fellowship with a Christian brother or sister of good character than one of superior intellect. Please do not misunderstand me; I agree wholeheartedly with the basic tenets of classical education, but I believe our goal should be to raise children who are classically educated, not to raise classical scholars. It would be wonderful to rear children who are intellectually superior as well as loving and kind, but if you have to choose one over the other due to having only so many minutes in your day, choose to raise children who love God and serve others. How do they learn this? They watch you! And one of the absolutely biggest lessons you teach them is that they are valuable to you because you are willing to spend your most precious commodity, time, to make them better people. Even if you do it imperfectly.

I agree with the man who said, "Whatever is worth doing is worth doing badly", but not in the same way he intended it. I don't believe most homeschooling Moms are "doing it badly". But if "doing" homeschooling well means working yourself into a frenzy over what you are not accomplishing, remember that God is in the silence, and do it badly.

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David Atkinson is a CPA and Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Classical Christian Home Educators. He has served in the finance department of K-LOVE Radio for 10 years. He and his wife Sheri homeschool two daughters, Ashley and Cassidy.