In November I took a job that no mother wants.  I was not offered any options.  I was forced against my will.  In fact, I believed that, by the Grace of God, I had done all in my power to avoid this job.  Therefore I was totally unprepared for it.  It fell into my lap against my bidding and it sits there still, like a rock, a heavy weight that draws me down with its ugliness and difficulty.  It interferes with my relationships and frustrates me in a myriad of ways. What is this horrific job? In November I officially became the parent of a prodigal child.  

The job includes many things that I have found distasteful.  Anger - with my child and with God.  Tears.  Buckets full.  Dismay, disappointment, denial, self - searching.  Apologies to parents of prodigals that I had judged (very piously and without malice, of course).   Worst of all, the job has no promise of termination.  I'm stuck with it.  The length of my service is dependent on the actions of someone else. 

What's a homeschooler to do?  Press on.  God is still Faithful.  God is still Good.  God is still my ever present help in times of trouble.  There are days when I don't cope very well, but we are doing better.  We are still determined to seek to glorify God with our lives.  Trust me, there is a lot of soul searching and some confession going on.  It has been our desire, since long before we started homeshooling 18 years ago, to be faithful to the end.  That has not changed.  So, we will do this job, and we will somehow learn and grow as a result.