The Hardest Job I’ll Ever Love

“So, are you going to homeschool your kids? Assuming you have kids someday, I mean.” That question was tossed to me as my coworker eased into traffic on a main road as we made our way back to the television news station where I had a summer internship.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” I sighed, “but I guess I can’t really get out of it with a clean conscience since my mom did it for me.”

My companion found himself in the same boat. We were both homeschool graduates. Despite the dire predictions we overheard during our younger years we had emerged from the “great experiment” reasonably socially adept. We were willing to talk to (and in front of) almost anyone. And we were in awe of all that our parents had sacrificed to give us the best educations they could imagine.

Fast forward 14 years and I have to laugh at the sense of dread we felt. Yes, I do know the next 18 years will likely be more work than I can even fathom. At the end of a long day I sometimes whisper to my husband, “They are smart. And they’re getting smarter fast. I don’t think we’re ready.” (And, yes, our kids are all still under five years old.) And they are messy. And demanding. And they are here all day long.

But they are also so much more than that. They are funny and smart. They are tough and tender. And they are immature and in desperate need of mentors. And around 2:00 a.m. almost five years ago I realized that the precious baby girl I was thanking God for isn’t really ours to keep. She’s on loan for a while and it’s our job to treasure that time even as we prepare her for a hope and a future in which we will likely only play a small role.

I also believe my husband and I were handpicked by our Maker to love, treasure, and teach these little ones as we walk alongside them— still learning as we go. Sometimes the days feel long, and yet I have a feeling the years will slip away all too quickly. But they are here for now– and so we also choose to be here with them for as many hours as possible.