He really does care

That shouldn't surprise me, should it?

I had the opportunity to go to a Catholic Homeschooling conference outside of Atlanta this past weekend. It was small, but still I had the opportunity to listen to some good speakers. That is helpful, of course, but I knew that the real reason I went to the conference was when I heard Laura Berquist remind us all that:

"Jesus loves your children more than you do, and wants you to succeed at homeschooling more than you do. So if you are not doing this already, I urge you to take your planners and make a Holy Hour each week. Sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament, pour out your troubles and concerns to Him, and then sit back and listen to what He would want you to do."

That went straight into my spirit, and I knew immediately that's what I needed to hear.

Not that I didn't already know that I needed to rely on Him, or that I needed His guidance, it was just that I had somehow... forgotten... pushed it aside... and through laziness and neglect, had found myself more often than not forgetting to pray for grace before I started our homeschooling day, and the results? Well, let's just say that they had gotten uglier and uglier.

Now, our parish is not set up so that we can stop in and spend time before the Lord at any hour of the day (sad, but true), so I have not yet been able to make it there; however, I was able to get on my knees yesterday morning and present all my failures and questions to Him, and ask Him to lead us during homeschooling.

And He did. He most definitely did.

Our catechism session that morning could only be described as Holy Spirit led. The conversations we had, the understanding, and the very real tears in the eyes of my kids (and me, too!) as we realized all that we had been given in the Holy Eucharist was nothing short of miraculous.

On a further miraculous note, I was able to get through the entire day WITHOUT getting frustrated. When teaching five children on different levels, as well as dealing with younger ones who need me as well, this is pretty near impossible... but not with Him. I found myself giving kind answers, and being able to answer questions, without resorting to sarcasm or just plain irritation. This is SO miraculous I can't even begin to describe it. I could no more claim credit for it than I can my eye color or my height. It was a sheer gift of God, given because He truly DOES care what goes on in our little homeschool, right here on my dining room table.

I'm so thankful for the reminder!