Just Like Me

I continue to be fascinated by the blog Bring the Rain. I LOVE her view of becoming a homeschooling mom. You can read it here. I could totally relate to how she was feeling. When I began homeschooling (two years ago) I wondered if I could fit in with the whole image of a homeschool mom. Or what I thought homeschooling moms must be like anyway. I thought well, they must be perfect. I'm sure their children must be so proper and polite. They must really be professional and know exactly what they're doing. I bet they never mess up like I know I will. Should I start dressing differently? Will my children be smart enough to "fit in" with their children? Does this mean I should stop going out with my husband to have a drink on occasion? If I am "caught" by another homeschool mom would I be shunned from the group?

Yes, I know that all of this sounds extremely silly but I truly had these thoughts. Well, I learned a big lesson with this. Not to ever make judgments with something unfamiliar. I wasted time and energy in worrying about these things and I now know that this was wrong and I have grown from it. God certainly doesn't design us to fit a certain image. He didn't create us to fit into a cookie cutter mold. As long as I know this and have confidence in who I am, then I will be pleasing to Him.

All it took was spending one day with these women and children to know that I belong. I quickly realized that not only do I really like these people I'm surrounded by, but I have so much in common with them. I was surprised how completely normal they are. They are cute. They are hip. They are creative. They are spunky. They have kids who may not act like they are from the Little House on the Prairie. They are real people. Just like me. Just like my kids. They make their mistakes and they grow from them. Just like me. Overall, they are just very fun people to be with. Yes, there are some who are more... hmm... proper I guess you could say. In a good way. But I have never felt judged by them. Ever. In fact I have built some really neat friendships with them and hope that throughout the years, I will continue to learn from them like I have in the past. When I am surrounded by these amazing homeschooling mamas, I know that I belong. I feel loved and I know that my kids and I are deeply cared for. I know that I am not alone in this. We are a team. Here for one another. Although I'm the youngest of the group (so far anyway) and usually don't have much advice to offer, they sweetly fill me with their ideas and wisdom. They are women who have been so blessed with the gift of God's precious children. Just like me. They don't take this job lightly. Just like me. They choose to give their children what they feel is best for them. Just like me. So they homeschool. Just like me.

I am so grateful that I trusted in God to walk a path that was so unknown to me. Because of this trust, he has been so faithful to me. Just like I know He always is.