Nothing More to Give

"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure." -Psalm 18:32

Do you ever wake up and feel like you have nothing left to give as a homeschooling parent? During one quiet morning as I looked out the kitchen window, I felt exhausted physically, financially and emotionally. I just wanted my house to be clean, but as I looked around, each task I had accomplished seemed to have been replaced by ten others. Laundry, dishes and dirt seemed to be everywhere. Added to this overwhelming burden was a mountain of schoolwork waiting to be graded and lessons to be planned. I felt depleted to the point of despair and prayed, "Lord, I'm so tired. Will I ever finish all this work?"

The struggle to find strength for the battle is nothing new. We can quit homeschooling, but if countless other Christians have remained steadfast through their difficult times, we can too. Clearly, believing the old saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," isn't the answer. As Christian homeschooling parents, we already know we don't have the ability to conjure up strength on our own. The strength lies in our attitude toward God and acknowledging our dependency on Him. Like Paul, we must learn, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). Like a little child strengthened by his parents to lift objects much too heavy for him, we can rediscover God's strength to move mountains of housework, schoolwork or whatever comes our way.

If you are experiencing homeschool burnout and finding yourself shutting down, God is waiting for you. Your all-powerful, loving heavenly Father has the strength you need to face today, tomorrow and even eternity. Stop thinking about what you can't do. Start depending on God and find out what you can do through Him today. "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

-From the Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 553