Educating my kids

I just got back from our first trip to the Outdoor Discovery Center in Holland, MI. My kids and my nieces had the most wonderful time and did not want to leave. On the ride home, I was telling Mercy that we would have to come back a few times for a little field trip while Elijah and Faith are at school in a couple weeks. That comment sparked a conversation between my kids and my nieces about school and field trips. As they were talking Elijah said he can't wait for me to be his teacher. He said that he is looking forward to doing some worksheets on his own and learning lots of things with me as his teacher and his sisters as his classmates.
It made me really think about God's way of doing things because Elijah has been asking me to homeschool him since he was in preschool. It did not make sense to me because he is an awesome student and is very social at school so he has plenty of friends, yet each summer he begs me to be his teacher. Bryan and I prayed about what school our kids should attend years ago and really felt God leading us to send them to public school so they could be a light to their friends and teachers. It was hard to try to explain that to Eli each year and tell him it was not because I did not want to have him around and to teach him, but I want to let him be a witness for God to all the people he meets.
For those of you who really know Eli, you will know that he has a way of praying and as Bryan describes it "pushing God" a little to get his prayers answered. This year Eli's prayer for his mommy to homeschool him will be answered as well. I hope he has also prayed for patience and grace for his mommy and him as this will be a very new and bumpy road that he, Faith, and Mercy will be traveling on with their mommy. One of many new and different and sometimes challenging things we will all do together. Today, I am excited and ready for that challenge, but other days it will be harder. God is allowing me not only to give my children an education, but also a chance to change their eyes and hearts to the things He has preplanned for us to witness. Much of their learning will have nothing to do with a text book. They will see poverty, brokenness, rejection, disease, death, but also happiness, true wealth, adoption, and love.